Cell Therapy Blog: In conversation with Professor John Hunt
We are joined by Professor John Hunt, Research Theme lead for Medical Technologies and Advanced Materials at Nottingham Trent University and the academic lead for the John has over 3 decades of experience developing breakthrough therapies, devices and technology to repair, replace, augment and in the future regenerate diseased, infected and damaged tissues using material… Read more »
Bringing Biomaterials to the Fore in Cell Therapy
Reading Time ~ 8 minutes Despite the success of cell therapies in some areas, such as CAR-T cells for lymphomas, translation to the clinic has generally been much less rapid and impactful than originally anticipated. One of the reasons for this may be that most of the attention has been focused on the cells themselves… Read more »
Microscaffold Patent Granted
On 23 June 2020, the UK patent office issued the Microscaffold patent (GB2544748A). Our custom Microscaffolds can be made from a large variety of materials and sizes, tailored towards their desired application. Their open, porous, three-dimensional structure allows for facile cell attachment and integration over a large range of cell types. These scaffolds can form… Read more »
Polymer Combinations
In a new publication titled “A synergistic relationship between PCL and natural polymers enhances the physical properties and biological activity of scaffolds”, researchers at RAFT have shown the versatility of our Mimetix Air® scaffolds to be combined with natural polymer such as collagen, elastin and fibrin, with industrially applicable production methods. Their work shows how… Read more »
Angiogenesis on Mimetix Air scaffolds
Standard and modified Mimetix Air® scaffolds were used in a recent study to establish an improved method to measure new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis). Angiogenesis is an important natural process for healing and regeneration in the body. In “Pre-screening the intrinsic angiogenic capacity of biomaterials in an optimised ex ovo chorioallantoic membrane model” the group… Read more »
3D Imaging of Cancer Cells in Scaffolds
Mimetix® scaffolds were used in the recent publication “Phase-contrast 3D tomography of HeLa cells grown in PLLA polymer electrospun scaffolds using synchrotron X-rays” in The Journal of Synchrotron Radiation. This study, led by Dr. M. Yusuf at the University College London (UCL), collaborating with the Research Centre at Harwell (RCAH) and Diamond Light Source on… Read more »
Advisory Board Update
Dr. Virender Sangwan has joined our advisory board in March 2020 to support us with his clinical expertise in the development of our cornea regeneration project. Dr. Virender Sangwan is a world-renowned ophthalmologist with expertise in cornea, anterior segment and uveitis. He has graduated in medicine from Maharshi Dayanand University in 1986 and completed his… Read more »
PPE components using 3D Printers
We are manufacturing the components of the PPE visors using our in house 3D printers and donating them to the Covid Print Oxford organisation. As the cases of COVID19 keep rising many of our medical workers are reporting the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to safely care for the ill patients. People and communities… Read more »
Trip to Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan
Late 2019, the Japanese External Trade Organisation (JETRO) approached me with the opportunity to visit the Ibaraki prefecture in Japan to explore collaboration with local companies. Little did I know that the particular city in question, Tsukuba, is one of the hotbeds in R&D in Japan. Successive meetings and calls with the excellent UK-based JETRO… Read more »
Board changes
Dr Liam Brennan has joined the Board as the STFC Investor Director, replacing Dr Kate Ronayne. Liam is Head of Technology Transfer at The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), part of UK Research and Innovation. STFC established The Electrospinning Company in 2010 and have invested and supported the Company since then. After completing his… Read more »
Multi-well plate patent granted
The European patent office issued patent EP2812424 on 28th August 2019. The patented invention is a multi-well plate containing a scaffold layer which provides a porous three-dimensional network of polymer nanofibres suitable for growing cells in 3D and the process for fabricating the multi-well assay plate. The Electrospinning Company manufactures the Mimetix® range of multi-well plates… Read more »
Synthetic wound healing membrane
‘Synthetic Amniotic Membrane’ development project supported by InnovateUK and the UKI2S Accelerator Programme for Technology Development Projects. For many of us, there is hardly any more life-changing disability imaginable than loss of sight. Whether through trauma or disease, the inability to rely on visual cues impacts on all matters of daily life; doing your job… Read more »
