|
|
|
|
Degenerative Arthritis (DA):
The pathogenesis of this disease is the degeneration
of the hyaline articular cartilage in the joint, which becomes
deformed, fibrillated, and eventually excavated over time. Treatment
methods, until now, primarily have been pharmacological treatments,
physical therapy, and surgery.
| Arthroscopic image of a healthy knee joint.
Healthy articular cartilage is white, shiny and smooth. |
Worn and irregular articular cartilage seen
in degenerative arthritis patients. |
Pathology of degenerative arthritis |
Our technology provides a treatment for degenerative
arthritis, a debilitating orthopedic disease that effects one
in seven people.
Traditional Treatments for DA:
The traditional treatment methods for degenerative
arthritis are unable to provide complete recovery.
| |
• Traditional treatment
methods for degenerative arthritis (DA) either involve
surgical "smoothing" or only address symptomatic
pain
• The time required to produce
even partial solutions under traditional methods can be
lengthy and the costs typically are high. |
|
Pharmacological
treatment
- Acetaminophen and NSAID including COX-2 inhibitors
- Injection of Corticosteroid and Hyaluronic
Acid
Physical therapy
- Physiotherapy including diet and massage
Operative treatment
- Microfracture, Arthroscopic debridement,
Arthroplasty
Complete
and permanent
Recovery
is not possible
|
Recent Technology Approaches:
None of the alternative technologies provide complete,
permanent solutions to DA.
| |
• Systemic drug therapies
· Cannot be targeted to specific joints
· Require high concentrations of the drugs,
creating side effects
· Cannot provide
complete tissue regeneration
• Autologous chondrocyte transplantation
(ACT)
· Limited to partial-thickness defects
· Requires a minimum of two surgeries
· Applicable under age 55
• Cartilage polymer matrix transplantation
· Unable to produce pure hyaline cartilage
· Polymer compounds can inhibit chondrocyte
growth
|
|
TG-C
Compared |
Our
solution can be targeted to specific joints and provides
the possibility of improving cartilage recovery
No surgery required
· Heterologous application requires no surgery;
solution can be mass-produced and mass-packaged
· Autologous application may require one
surgery to collect chondrocytes from patient
Regenerated cartilage is fully integrated hyaline
|
Specific Technology Benefits:
Our technology provides a solution to effectively harness
the regenerative power of growth-factors.
|
 |
• TGF-betas are well-known growth factor
proteins, however, their clinical utility is limited due to
very short half-lives and side effects associated with systemic
exposure.
• Local delivery of TissueGene's product
overcomes the half-life and side effect limitations of systemically
administered TGF-beta.
• Increased matrix synthesis while maintaining
type-II collagen phenotype
• Increased proteoglycan and collagen
synthesis
• Suppressed immune response
Technology Summary:
We have developed a proprietary form of cell-mediated
gene therapy to deliver a regenerative protein to damaged
tissue, which catalyzes rapid repair of injured tissue without
the need for surgery.
| |
• Insert a therapeutic growth factor
(TGF-b) gene into allogeneic cells using
traditional viral methods
• Isolate single clones
expressing TGF-beta using a limiting dilution
method.
• Inject the stable population
of genetically modified cells into the damaged tissue
area
• Modified cells then secrete growth
factor proteins directly into the injured site (like living
"protein factories") |
|
|
Potential
for significant
cartilage
recovery |
|
|
|
