SpinalCyte Awarded Patent for Tissue-Engineered Cartilage

SpinalCyte, LLC, a Texas-based tissue engineering technology company focused on regrowth of the spinal disc nucleus using human dermal fibroblasts, announced today the issuance of Australian Patent No. 2013299505, “Generation Of Cartilage Ex Vivo From Fibroblasts.”

The technology described in the patent involves using mechanical stress in an ex vivo, low oxygen environment under certain conditions to produce chondrocytes to regrow cartilage. Also included in the patent is the use of an imaging device to design and develop a mold for the new cartilage to populate and grow.
 
“This Australian patent further strengthens our international intellectual property portfolio for using fibroblasts to regrow cartilage and broadens our patent coverage beyond the spinal disc into other regions of the human anatomy,” said Pete O’Heeron, chief executive officer, SpinalCyte.
 
With this addition, SpinalCyte’s portfolio now includes 22 U.S. and foreign patents issued and directly owned by the company, along with 44 patents pending.