The Cell Therapy Catapult, which is focused on the development of the UK cell therapy industry to increase the nation’s health and wealth, and the University of Leeds have agreed to work together on acellular scaffolds for the delivery of cellular therapies. The University’s Regener8 (the N8 Centre for Translational Regenerative Medicine) and Medical Technologies Innovation and Knowledge Centre have extensive expertise in regenerative devices, scaffolds and biomaterials, which are pivotal to the development of new cell therapies.
The two centres and the Cell Therapy Catapult are looking to identify projects, including those from the University’s research base and project teams supported by Regener8 funding, which they can develop further together. Areas of expertise at Regener8 and the Medical Technologies IKC include hard and soft tissue repair using acellular scaffolds as well as other delivery technologies for regenerative medicines. There is also a focus on supporting high-value manufacturing companies.
Keith Thompson, CEO of the Cell Therapy Catapult, said, ‘This agreement is a further recognition of the calibre of the cell therapy research base in UK academia, and we are delighted to be working with the University of Leeds. At the Cell Therapy Catapult we recognise the need to access a range of scaffolds to support cell therapy projects, and the expertise in Leeds will complement the portfolio that we are developing.’
Dr Mike Raxworthy, Operations Director of Regener8, said, ‘Our emphasis is to encourage the translation of university and industry research in regenerative medicine into commercial products and clinical benefits. We bring together world-leading scientists from the N8 universities with industry and are delighted to extend this to partnership to the Cell Therapy Catapult in the valuable work it is undertaking.’
Professor John Fisher, CBE, Executive Director of Regener8, Medical Technologies IKC & Director of the Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, University of Leeds said, ‘We welcome this agreement to collaborate, leveraging our capabilities in regenerative devices, biomaterials and tissue scaffolds. Coupled with our research excellence in medical engineering, preclinical simulation and medical device manufacturing, we can provide complementary research and training to support the translational activity at the Cell Therapy Catapult.’