Orthocell’s breakthrough tissue engineering study with CelGro® to create functional lymphatic tissue published in PNAS

Orthocell Ltd (ASX:OCC)’s breakthrough tissue engineering study, combining CelGro® with lymphatic and blood vessel cells to create functional lymphatic tissue, has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).  The findings represent a substantial advance in the ex vivo fabrication of implantable lymphatic grafts and their use in novel surgical treatments for patients suffering from lymphedema.  The study further validates CelGro® as the ideal collagen scaffold that can be used on its own or in combination with cells to fabricate complex tissue grafts to replace damaged tissue or augment the repair of defects.  The publication follows a successful collaboration between Professor Shulamit Levenberg at the Israel Institute of Technology and Orthocell’s inventor and chief scientific officer, Professor Minghao Zheng at the Perron Institute and the University of Western Australia.  Addressing multiple medical needs Orthocell managing director Paul Anderson said: “This is exciting research that opens up potential for novel treatments addressing significant unmet medical needs in women’s health and we will explore these development options alongside our nerve repair applications. “CelGro® continues to impress and this further validates the very valuable CelGro® platform technology addressing multiple medical needs.” Integrates with target host tissue The study’s objective was to engineer a functional lymphatic tissue graft and evaluate its potential to integrate with the target host tissue. To fabricate the lymphatic graft, researchers cultured lymphatic and blood vessel cells on CelGro® scaffolds and subjected them to mechanical loads and stretching to simulate real-life use and movement situations. The engineered graft was surgically implanted in a mouse and assessed for seven days post-implant. The results showed the graft integrated with the host lymphatic vessel and, most importantly, showed characteristics of native tissue. ‘Significant implications’ Orthocell chief scientific officer Professor Minghao Zheng said: “Lymphedema is a common and debilitating complication of breast cancer treatments with suboptimal patient outcomes. “This study provides a new understanding of the role of CelGro® in the fabrication of tissue grafts for lymphatic vessel regeneration, which could have significant implications for a novel and effective surgical treatment of lymphedema.” Lymphedema Damage to lymphatic vessels often occurs following cancer treatment (surgical or radiation therapy) resulting in localised tissue swelling or ‘lymphedema’. Lymphedema leads to significant disfiguration, pain and discomfort, as well as a decreased range of motion, thereby impeding daily function and quality of life. Patients are also at risk of serious and potentially life-threatening deep skin infections. Lymphoedema is a widespread complication affecting one in every five patients following breast cancer treatment. There are no curative treatment options for lymphedema and common non-surgical interventions provide less than optimal outcomes.