Materials, Advanced Design
&
Manufacturing
108
Tissue engineering to control stem cell growth
CASE STUDY
Background
Developers of implanted medical devices have been
given an additional exciting challenge. Not only must
implants repair or augment a damaged or diseased
part or function of a body; now they are being called on
to regenerate new, functional tissue and organs. Can
stem cells be ‘implanted’ into patients just like medical
devices to become a physiological and functional part
of the body and contribute to a person’s health
and wellbeing?
The project
Scientists first need to understand and develop
techniques to identify, isolate, handle and reproduce
stem cells in controlled and reproducible ways. A team
of clinical engineers at the University is working on
methods to control stem cell behaviour using a systems
approach to tissue engineering.
Applying their accumulated expertise from over 20
years of research into host-material interactions from
conventional implanted medical devices, our researchers
looked at how to control and direct stem cells
in vivo
and
in vitro
.
Their work has led to new intellectual property
which has been licensed by companies to produce
stem cell substrates that can generate a large numbers
of stem cells (over 100 cells per millilitre) for
in vitro
high-
throughput modelling or direct
in vivo
implantation. Both
the novel substrate and the stem cell populations they
‘
nurture’ have become products for research markets
and healthcare providers.
Nanoink Inc, a nanotechnology company specialising
in nano-scale manufacturing and applications
development for the life science and semiconductor
industries. It has licensed the nanotechnology-based
surface substrate used for stem cell definition. This
technology gives the company the means to provide
industry with the tools to fabricate their own stem cell
substrates. It can also provide off-the-shelf substrates
to research teams and healthcare providers.
Outcomes
•
Establishing a new biological sciences research
sector for Nanoink’s ‘Dip Pen Nanolithography’
(
DPN) machine, leading to the establishment of a
new business division: NanoStem
•
Acquisition of the IP licence for world exclusive
rights
•
Proof of concept for the control of human adult
stem cells by direct substrate contact.
Partner
Nanoink Inc
Activity type
Contract research, Intellectual Property (IP)
Academic lead(s)
Professor John A Hunt, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Ageing and Chronic
Disease, Clinical Engineering, UK Centre for Tissue Engineering
