CASE STUDY
URINARY TRACT APPLICATION FOR A BLADDER-DERIVED NATURAL ACELLULAR MATRIX
By Anna Radford and Professor Jenny Southgate, Jack Birch Unit of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Department of Biology, University of York The treatment of a common condition affecting the urinary tract in young boys could be permanently resolved by implanting tissue which integrates well and supports the child’s own tissue. Hypospadias is a congenital abnormality affecting 1 in 300 young boys. It is characterised in part by abnormal placement of the urethral opening, which can occur anywhere from just below the end of the penis to the scrotum. The condition often requires multiple or “staged” surgical correction because the patient’s own tissue is inadequate in quantity and quality. This may frequently lead to complications requiring further reconstructive surgery. There is a clinical need for an effective method by which enough material is implanted at the primary stage of repair to reduce the complication rate. This is being addressed in a Proof of Concept project led by Professor Jenny Southgate (University of York) in collaboration with others at the University of Leeds. The collaboration
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had previously developed a porcine decellularised bladder biomaterial as part of a BBSRC-funded project and evaluation in a BBSRC follow-on grant indicated the potential for using the natural decellularised matrix for homologous use in urological surgery. The next stage, for which PoC funding was requested, was to test the material’s use and functionality in a large animal model. The biocompatibility and integration of the new material is being compared to that of a commercially available product. This commercial product has been reported in the “off-licence” surgical treatment of complex hypospadias by Mr Ramnath Subramaniam, the surgeon co-investigator on the project, who is based at the Department of Paediatric Urology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. However the host response to such material is unknown and it is believed that the York/Leeds biomaterial will be more suitable due to its better structural features and retention of biological properties as a result of not being cross-linked.
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The implanted biomaterial will be for homologous use, meaning that it will be derived from and used in the urinary tract for which it was evolved, leading to a better, faster surgical repair and an improved outcome for the patient. The York/Leeds team are collaborating with two partners, Tissue Regenix and NHS R&D, with a view to moving forward to clinic with either the porcine acellular matrix or a version derived from human bladder tissue. The Medical Technologies IKC funding was crucial to the development of this project. By providing funding to prove the concept, the potential risk for industry partners is ameliorated. This biomaterial has potential to make a real difference to the lives of many patients and the funding is facilitating a critical step in the translation of a promising research finding from the laboratory to the clinic. For further information visit: www.york.ac.uk/biology/jack-birchunit