Cell-Derived Bone-Regenerator

A cell-derived bone-regeneration product has demonstrated the ability to induce the spontaneous formation of new bone in an in vivo preclinical model.

Called Skeletex, the bone regenerator is one of a new class of human tissue-engineered therapeutic products. It is a stable, cell-free, orthobiologic product containing around 70 human cell factors extracted from an immortalized, partially differentiated cell line grown in laboratory culture. The original cells were collected from human fetal tissue. Genetic modification of the cells to immortalize them allows for an unlimited supply of a single, pure cell type, averting the need to continue collecting material from human tissues.

Skeletex was developed by CellFactors plc (Cambridge, UK), a biotechnology company focusing on human cell therapies, particularly products that target regenerative medicine. The company is evaluating Skeletex with a view to licensing it for orthopedic uses, for the reparation of bone damage or in combination with implants and prosthetic devices.

"These products will not be regulated as medicines, which means that the development timelines are not equivalent to those for conventional therapeutics,” noted Dr. Ian Cubitt, CEO of CellFactors. "The clear advantage here is that the route to market for such a product, assuming all hurdles are cleared, could be much reduced.”




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