Projects are journeys
Along the lines of nature, we established a human material-based Platform Technology for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM; 3R perspective-driven “reduce, refine, replace animal materials in science”) during my Dr. thesis at the BOKU Vienna (accomplished with distinction) and performed at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for experimental and clinical Traumatology under supervision of Prof. Heinz Redl (lab head).
Books, publications, a patent, talks and posters were generated out of human placenta, the “gift of life”.
Based on IP, a spin-off was developed under supervision of LBG 4Fellows4Entrepreneurs Program and the LBG Innovator Road Program – Herman Hauser (IECT).
We filed a contract with a hospital in Vienna for donation of human placenta tissue for our Company (foundation date between April-June 2020 at Vienna Biocenter Startup Labs; THT-Biomaterials GmbH (www.THT-Biomaterials.at)), to create an affordable personalized medicine for society over the long run.
Our product description
“The extracellular matrix (ECM) is nature’s ideal environment for human cells. ECM modulates a wide range of fundamental mechanisms in development, function and homeostasis of cells.
Human placenta substrate (hpS) contains ECM proteins such as laminin-111 as the major component (around 80-90%), collagen-4 (around 10%), bioactive growth factors and other minor components. It is treated with chloroform to prevent aerobic and anaerobic microbial growth.
hpS is prepared to a protein concentration of 1-2 mg/mL in PBS. It is liquid and will not gel at 37°C. Addition of fibrinogen, collagen-1 or other polymers can be used for polymerization.
HUVEC cells show vasculogenesis within two days when grown on or in hpS. PC-12 cells show neurite formation within two days when grown on hpS.”
We will soon provide a human material-based biomaterial as an alternative to animal material-based biomaterials for various in vitro applications such as 2D coatings, 3D gels, tissue inks or cell culture medium supplementation, in a consistent industrial scale.
Moreover, we aim to develop new clinically relevant in vitro diagnostics/drug screening Kits or other in vitro technologies (e.g. Lab-on-Chip) with partners from industry, universities and pharmacy.
If this project is successful, we could practice more in vitro cell culture experiments in a fully human environment, by using hpS – a closer model of human tissue for many 2D/3D in vitro applications. Give it a try! In addition, we will sell collagen type 1/3 from human placenta, and laminin-111 soon. The placenta-story continues…