ANNUAL REVIEW | 2016
| 11
DIRECTLY IMPLANTED DEVICES
New grants
awarded
Five proof of concept grants
were awarded in 2016
1
STERILISING
ACELLULAR
GRAFTS
A collaboration with
NHS Blood and
Transplant Tissue
and Eye Services will
investigate whether
a new sterilisation
process they have
developed could
be used in human
tissue grafts.
Existing methods,
using gamma
irradiation, have
been shown to affect
the biomechanical
properties of some
donor tissues.
A team led by
Professor Eileen
Ingham, at the
University of Leeds,
will test the new
process using
decellularised human
bone-tendon-bone
grafts and evaluate
its effect on the
biomechanics and
biology of the tissue.
2
BIORESORBABLE
SCAFFOLD TO
TREAT INFECTED
WOUNDS
A project led by
the University of
Bradford’s Professor
Des Tobin will
establish if the
antimicrobial action
of a bioresorbable
scaffold loaded with a
photosensitive agent
could treat chronic,
infected wounds when
activated by light.
The in vitro tests
will also determine
the effect of light at
defined wavelengths
to decontaminate the
wound and prime
the wound bed for
healing before the
scaffold’s application.
The collaboration
includes regenerative
medicine company,
Neotherix, and the
NIHR WoundTec
Healthcare Technology
Co-operative.
3
REGENERATIVE
CELLS TO
PREVENT
ANASTOMOTIC
LEAKS
Professor David Jayne
from the University
of Leeds will lead a
project to investigate
whether regenerative
cells derived from the
omentum – the fatty
tissue that covers
the intestines and
organs in the lower
abdomen – can
be used to prevent
leaks that can occur
in the connections
between intestines,
called anastomoses,
following gastrointestinal surgery.
Anastomotic leakage
is the most significant
complication after
colorectal surgery and
is a major cause of
postoperative mortality.
4
5
ACELLULAR
SCAFFOLD
FOR BLADDER
RECONSTRUCTION
NEW
SIMULATIONS TO
ASSESS TISSUE
REPAIRS
Professor Jenny
Southgate and
colleagues will examine
whether the natural
biomaterial PABM
(porcine acellular
bladder matrix) could
be useful in bladder
reconstructive surgery.
A team led by Louise
Jennings, Associate
Professor of Medical
Engineering at Leeds,
is developing preclinical experimental
simulation methods
to assess the
biomechanical
and tribological
performance of tissue
repair interventions
for the patellofemoral
joint that are made
from decellularised
human or porcine
materials (see p16). n
PABM is produced
using a decellularisation
technique being
commercialised by
Tissue Regenix and
has been successfully
tested in a previous
proof of concept
project looking at the
surgical correction
of hypospadias – a
common congenital
urinary tract condition
in boys.