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Biotechnology

By Neil Savage,
MIT Technology Review
Posted 09/16/2009 at 2:53 pm EST

Andrew Lynn, 32

Orthomimetics

Repairing joints by stimulating regrowth in bone and cartilage

MIT Technology

ANDREW LYNN wants to phase out metal joint replacements by coaxing the human body to rebuild damaged bone and cartilage. Lynn, CEO and cofounder of Orthomimetics, in Cambridge, England, developed a biodegradable scaffold that a surgeon can implant into any joint weakened by injury or age.

Microscopic pores draw blood cells and stem cells into the plug-shaped scaffold, which is made of collagen and glycosaminoglycans, the materials in human cartilage. The part of the plug that extends into the bone also contains calcium phosphate, which is found in bone. The stem cells take cues from those materials to grow into bone or cartilage where appropriate, repairing the damage as the plug slowly dissolves. The scaffold is already approved for use in Europe, and Orthomimetics is performing more trials to gain approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which it anticipates in about two years. Scaffolding designed to regrow tendons and ligaments is also a couple of years away.


Copyright 2009 Technology Review, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services
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