The Imperatives of Producing New Generations of Advancements. 

Biomaterials and Nanotechnology

At ATRM, we use natural (such as bovine collagen) or synthetic (such as polyglycolide) materials that were developed specifically for medical use. The idea is to use these materials to substitute for missing or damaged tissue with the goal of restoring function. Biomaterials present solutions within many therapeutic conditions, such as general surgery, orthopaedics and cardiovascular disease. Based on our understanding of the structured property relationships of these biocompatible materials, ATRM has the capability to design, model, synthesize, characterize and fabricate medical devices, tissue engineering scaffolds and drug delivery systems with specific performance characteristics.

Scientists from ATRM have begun a program to look at employing nanotechnology to make devices with surfaces that mimic those found in nature and have the ability to better adapt to the body’s biological response. This could potentially transform the way implantable medical devices, such as valves, catheters and stents, improve patients’ overall well-being.

Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering involves the combination of cells, biomaterials and suitable bioactives or physiochemical factors to repair or improve tissues that have been damaged by trauma or disease. At ATRM, we apply the principles of tissue engineering by combining cells from a variety of sources with optimally engineered scaffolds to design and produce products for a variety of indications. The promise of tissue engineering is enhancing the healing capacity to regenerate damaged tissue, restore biological function and improve long-term clinical results. These principles also are being applied to eventually regenerate whole organs. We are actively conducting clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of tissue engineered products.

Local Drug Delivery Systems

Local drug delivery systems (LDDS) intend to provide a high concentration of therapeutic agents which target a disease site with reduced side effects. Sustained release LDDS can maintain a high local concentration for prescribed periods of times without reliance on patient compliance. LDDS can be engineered to degrade and disappear within a desired time frame or to be a removable system, if necessary. LDDS can take the form of polymer implants, micro or nanoparticles, gels or even coatings on tissue engineering scaffolds. At ATRM, we are developing and testing novel approaches to apply local drug delivery systems, in the hopes of improving clinical results for a variety of degenerative and life-threatening conditions.

Bioactives

Bioactives refer to a broad category which simply implies that a substance has an effect on living tissue. At ATRM, we formulate bioactives for use in tissue engineering, local drug delivery systems and regenerative medicine applications. As an example, we are currently exploring the use of rhGDF-5 (protein) for a variety of orthopaedic applications which could revolutionize the way patients recover from chronic pain. We are also interested in finding new uses for existing drugs, particularly if these new uses are amenable to local administration when local delivery of drugs failed in prior development activities due to toxicity or bioavailability limitations associated with systemic or oral dosing.

Cell-based Technologies

Cell-based technologies involve the use of transplanted cells to deliver therapeutic benefit or for use in tissue and organ engineering. Cell sources can be obtained from an individual’s own body (autologous) or from a cultured and stored bank (allogeneic). The promise of cell therapy is far-reaching and unlimited. Progenitor cells, for example, have been identified as a potential solution for many different indications, including areas that have significant unmet needs such as stroke, spinal cord injury and metabolic diseases. At ATRM, we are actively testing the safety and efficacy of proprietary cell-based technologies with appropriate scaffolds to address some of life’s most challenging health problems.