Student Education News

Novel products for repair of damaged human tissues

Professor Eileen Ingham has led research over many years to develop improved approaches to aid healing and repair of soft tissues.

When human soft tissues (such as blood vessels, skin and heart valves) are damaged through disease or injury, repair or replacement is necessary. In some circumstances, the human body is not able to repair the damage, and medical intervention is required. Professor Eileen Ingham has led research over many years to develop improved approaches to aid healing and repair of soft tissues. One of the main problems with conventional methods for repair of soft tissues (such as skin grafts from non-related donors) is that the recipient's body often produces an immune reaction which leads to rejection of the foreign tissue. The research has led to methods being developed to produce biological scaffolds that are not rejected. Professor Ingham developed methods to take tissue from humans or animals and remove the biological components and cells which cause the immune reaction and subsequent rejection, leaving the natural "scaffold" structure as a framework for enhancing the healing process.

The methods developed have been patented and a spin out company, Tissue Regenix, was formed in 2006, The company has developed the methods for producing the "scaffold" structures, and produces replacement heart valves, blood vessel patches and skin patches for treatment of chronic wounds. The heart valves and blood vessel patches have successfully been in use in patients for a number of years, and the skin patches are currently in clinical trials.

1st November 2012