MEDFORD, MA and CALGARY, CANADA, JULY13, 2007 -- Serica Technologies, Inc., a growth-stage medical device company developing silk-based biomaterial platforms for tissue regeneration, today announced that its scientists received the Cabaud Memorial Award from the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), for their pre-clinical research demonstrating the potential of Sericas SeriACL Graft to regenerate or re-grow anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tissue in the knee, in a large-animal model.
Results from the award-winning paper were highlighted in a podium presentation during the AOSSM annual meeting. In this study, 43 goats were implanted with the SeriACL Graft and followed over 3, 6 and 12 months; results demonstrated the safety of the device, with initial indications of efficacy in the animal model. The SeriACL Graft, a new biomaterial made from natural silk protein, is installed using a standard surgical procedure to repair a torn ACL and is designed to provide a strong yet temporary support structure that replaces the torn ACL and stabilizes the knee joint.
This study provides the first evidence of sustainable ACL tissue engineering, said Gregory H. Altman, PhD, President and CEO, Serica Technologies, and senior author of the paper. Through advances in biomedical engineering, we now have a more thorough understanding of the bodys own capacity for ACL healing, if provided the correct impetus. We believe our proprietary technology can provide a long-term bioresorbable graft scaffold that anticipates the defect sites biological and mechanical requirements for ACL regeneration. We are extremely pleased with the results of this study and are aggressively moving forward with our development program, including the initiation of a study with the SeriACL Graft in humans.
Results from this study showed that all animals were weight bearing at 3, 6 and 12 months, with 95% returning to normal gait by 6 months; the majority
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Contact: Janna Guinen
jannag@comcast.net
781-834-7498
Spring Communications
13-Jul-2007