Project
Regener8 combines the expertise of 8 universities in translational regenerative medicine and accelerates the development of therapies to bring them though to clinic and market. Since 2007, Regener8 has generated over £10 million of research income and worked with over 50 businesses, including Xiros.
Partners
- N8 Universities
- Xiros
- Tissue Engineers
- A Clinical Academic Plastic Surgeon
- Device Manufacturers
- A Safety/Regulatory ConsultanT
Delivery
In this project, Regener8 created a consortium involving tissue engineers, a clinical academic plastic surgeon, device manufacturers and safety/regulatory consultant to undertake research to aid the recovery of major nerve injuries. The consortium placed Xiros in a central role to develop a ‘pipeline’ conduit system to guide regenerating nerve cells.
Xiros is a successful company in Leeds providing design, engineering and manufacturing expertise for medical textile implants used in minimally invasive surgery. In this research, academics with expertise in nerve tissue engineering, surface coatings and 3D cell models, an academic consultant plastic/hand surgeon, an industrialist with expertise in textile manufacture, and a biological and safety regulatory consultant have combined to address a poorly met clinical need.
Impact
Peripheral nerve injury in adults requires a slow recovery period and the results can be mixed. Some do not regain normal function and the some patients can find it difficult to return to work after a major nerve injury. The result of this project will see patients benefit from speedier recovery from injury and improvements to mobility and quality of life. The delivery of the nerve project will also see extensive NHS and market uptake.
Success
Xiros predicts benefits arising from Regener8 business support and particularly from enhanced market opportunity via the Regener8 community.
Testimonial
“Working with Regener8 has proved very rewarding over the last year. Our collaborative project is genuinely exciting and has already produced some valuable outcomes. The networking meetings have produced some new business relationships, been well organised and thought provoking.”
Jim Rowland, Programme Manager for Biomaterials, Xiros