Orthocell (ASX:OCC) has breakthrough tissue engineering study published in US

• Regenerative medicine company Orthocell (OCC) sees its breakthrough tissue engineering study published in a US peer reviewed journal
• The study looked at combining OCC’s CelGro with lymphatic and blood vessel cells to create tissue which can treat lymphedema in breast cancer patients
• The regenerative medicine company says it will further explore CelGro’s development options alongside its nerve repair applications
• Orthocell is up 2.80 per cent, trading at 55 cents at 2:20 pm AEST

Regenerative medicine company Orthocell (OCC) has seen its breakthrough tissue engineering study published in a highly regarded journal.

The study looked at combining Orthocell’s CelGro, a collagen membrane for regeneration procedures, with lymphatic and blood vessel cells to create functional lymphatic tissue. It was published in the peer-reviewed journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”.

CelGro can act as a cell scaffold when implanted at the site of tissue injury, encouraging new cell growth. Cells from the regenerating tissue integrate with the collagen fibres to guide tissue regeneration.

To create the tissue for the study, researchers used cultured lymphatic and blood vessel cells on CelGro scaffolds and stretched them to simulate real life movement situations. The graft was then surgically implanted in a mouse and assessed after seven days, returning positive results.

Orthocell says its findings represent the potential to use its treatment in novel surgical treatments for patients suffering from lymphedema, a complication following breast cancer treatments that affects one in every five patients. The build-up of fluid in soft body tissues can lead to significant disfiguration, pain and discomfort, as well as a decreased range of motion. Patients can also be at risk of developing potentially life-threatening deep skin infections.   

“This study provides a new understanding of the role of CelGro in fabrication of tissue grafts for lymphatic vessel regeneration, which could have significant implications for a novel and effective surgical treatment of lymphedema,” Orthocell Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Minghao Zheng said.

There are no current curative treatment options for lymphedema and the company says non-surgical interventions do not provide ideal outcomes, making this new research imperative.

“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,” Orthocell Managing Director Paul Anderson said.

Orthocell is up 2.80 per cent, trading at 55 cents at 2:20 pm AEST.