Nottinghams strength as a UK Science City is further underlined today, with news that the Wellcome Trust, the UK's largest medical research charity, has awarded almost 1 million to an innovative biosciences company.

The investment, under the Translation Award programme, will help Nottingham-based RegenTec Ltd to develop commercial products in the rapidly-developing field of regenerative medicine. The company has perfected techniques which could greatly enhance the repair of bone defects and fractures.

RegenTec Ltd was created to build on the world-changing research carried out by scientists at The University of Nottingham, Britains University of the Year. With support from the East Midlands Development Agency, the company has invented a unique material that works with stem cells and biopharmaceuticals to stimulate the regeneration of tissue in patients.

When injected into the body the material forms a highly porous scaffold structure, which encourages new tissues to form.

The unique scaffold mechanism also assists the delivery of stem cells and drugs without compromising their effectiveness. This offers a substantial opportunity to deliver a cure to patients with bone, liver, heart or nerve tissue defects.

Professor Kevin Shakesheff, Chief Scientific Officer at RegenTec, and Director of The Centre for Biomolecular Sciences at The University of Nottingham, said: The ability to inject these scaffold materials could significantly reduce the need for invasive surgery in tissue repair.

It will mean that operation and rehabilitation times could come down significantly. After injection, the porous material we use gradually degrades, leaving behind only newly formed bone tissue.

RegenTec has developed an extensive portfolio of patents and hopes that its injectable technology can reach clinics within three years. Its first product Injectabone will be used as a replacement for bone grafting, which can
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Contact: Dr Rob Quirk
rquirk@regentec.net
University of Nottingham
27-Jul-2007