Cartilage Regeneration Technology Awarded Patent Protection

A Houston-based spinal technology company focused on autologous regrowth of the spinal disc nucleus using human dermal fibroblasts, has received a Notice Of Acceptance on its patent application from the Australian Patent Office. The company is SpinalCyte, LLC, founded in 2007 to develop a cartilage regeneration technology using autologous dermal cells harvested from the patient.

The title of the patent application is “Methods and Compositions for Repair of Cartilage Using An In Vivo Bioreactor” to regrow the spinal disc, using human dermal fibroblasts. The allowed claims include the use of human dermal fibroblasts from the patient’s own body, to regrow the nucleus of the spinal disc in vivo.

“This is the sixth international patent in our growing patent portfolio and it distinguishes SpinalCyte as a world leader for regeneration of the spinal disc, ” said Chief Executive Officer Pete O’Heeron. “This is our second Australian Patent and we are excited the Australian Patent Office continues to validate the uniqueness of our technology. Regenerative medicine is leading the rapidly growing movement toward biologics, cell therapy and gene therapy and we believe our focus on autologous regrowth of cartilage will provide an eventual cure for all forms of cartilage degradation.”

The nucleus pulposus is a gelatinous material which consists of chondrocytes, collagenfibrils, and proteoglycan aggrecans. It acts as a cushion or shock absorber to the spinal column, functioning to distribute hydraulic pressure in all directions within each disc under compressive loads.