Cartilage Cell Repair System Granted U.S. Patents

PUR Biologics, LLC announces that it had been granted two patents by the U.S. Patent office covering multipotent stem cell-derived material. The new inventions were developed by PUR to assist physicians with the repair and regeneration of tissue. The office issued the patents to PUR’s joint venture partner, Histogen, Inc. in early September.

The patents describe the very novel Histogen technology for de-differentiation of fibroblast cells into multipotent stem cells by way of low oxygen and special culture conditions. The patent also covers methods of inducing tissue repair and regeneration by contacting cells with the naturally-secreted multipotent cell conditioned media (CCM) and extracellular matrix (ECM) materials.

Histogen’s officials explain that through this now patented process, newborn cells naturally produce the vital proteins and growth factors from which the company has developed its rich product portfolio. Histogen’s technology focuses on stimulating a patient’s own stem cells by delivering a proprietary complex of multipotent human proteins that have been shown to support stem cell growth and differentiation

“These novel multipotent cell-derived materials hold tremendous potential in orthopedic applications, where we seek to regenerate musculoskeletal tissues and support stem cell growth, ” said Ryan Fernan, CEO of PUR Biologics. “Particularly exciting to us is the ability of the material to induce angiogenesis, which is not addressed with currently available orthopedic products.”

Fernan explains that unlike other stem cell-derived therapies, Histogen’s process uniquely begins with newborn fibroblast cells, a safe, well-established and non-controversial cell source, and converts the cells into multipotent stem cells without genetic manipulation. PUR Biologics is currently researching and developing products based upon the CCM and ECM materials produced by these multipotent cells, which have potential benefit in a number of orthopedic applications such as bone and cartilage regeneration.

Burak Ozgur, M.D., chief of Neurosurgery Spine Service at Hoag Hospital, said, “While there is a lot of excitement and promise around stem cell-derived treatments in orthopedics, therapies utilizing embryonic stem cells or genetically manipulated induced pluripotent stem cells carry inherent ethical and potential safety concerns for patients. Products that could capture the benefits of stem cell treatments without these concerns, such as the multipotent cell materials being developed by PUR, hold tremendous potential as the future of orthopedics.”