Startup Turns to Liquified Silk for Tissue Regeneration

A Boston-area plastic surgery startup wants to use a reverse-engineered form of an ancient medical material in tissue regeneration for aesthetics and medical purposes. Sofregen is working on tissue regeneration using liquefied silk protein, which has emerged from academic research in recent decades. Liquefied silk protein offers biocompatibility and engineering controllability without using harsh chemicals, according to Sofregen chief medical officer Anh Hoang. Hear Anh Hoang discuss the use of silk protein in implantable devices on April 18, 2018, at BIOMEDevice Boston. Use promo code "MDDI" for 20% off conference registration and free expo access. “It’s already used in sutures and mesh,” Hoang said. “We can control how much protein content there is. We can control the mechanics of it.” Silk has been used in medical applications for about 2,000 years, but the first mass-produced, sterile silk sutures were invented by Johnson & Johnson in 1887. Working with technology developed at Tufts University and the University of Pittsburgh, Sofregen is developing a silk scaffold that can be injected to provide immediate bulking of tissue and eventually help it regenerate. It has applied for FDA approval. The first indication would be to bulk up vocal folds so they can come together to produce the sounds used for speech. After the initial bulking, the silk scaffold would be replaced by the patient’s own tissue over the course of 20 to 24 months, Hoang explained. Silk...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: BIOMEDevice Boston Materials Source Type: news