European collaboration to create biomimetic bioartificial liver3 July 2012 Medicyte, The Electrospinning Company and the Universities of Manchester and Pisa have launched a European wide project with the aim to design a biomimetic bioartificial liver (Re-Liver). The company GABO:mi ensures professional project management. The aim of Re-Liver is to reconstitute a standardized and reproducible bioartificial liver organoid (BLO) using healthy human liver as an architectural and biomaterial template. According to the EMA criteria, the BLO is a cell-based medicinal product, a highly innovative and complex medicine. In addition to the Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP), new diagnostic tools and further products in cell-based applications will be developed and validated by the Re-Liver Consortium, made up of three industrial partners, all SMEs, focusing the commercialisation of market-leading products across Europe and further afield. Within the European Union, 6% of the population is suffering from chronic liver diseases. And although the liver is one of the best-studied organs in the human body, therapeutic approaches are often precluded. The scientists experienced several limitations for possible applications. On the one hand, suitable donor livers for solid organ transplant are in short supply and on the other hand, in-vitro and ex-vivo technologies for recapitulating liver function still fall short of reliability, consistency, and predictability. The results of Re-Liver could be used for minimal invasive implantation to treat metabolic diseases, such as Haemophilia A, minimizing the transition from concept to clinic, and finally as an alternative for solid organ transplantation. Dr. Joris Braspenning, CEO and CSO of Medicyte GmbH, Coordinator of the Re-Liver consortium comments: “I am highly delighted receiving the opportunity from the European Union to lead the Re-Liver joined forces of industry and academia. The combination of our complimentary areas of expertise will give a deeper insight into the complex bioartificial liver design, but is also an innovative approach to develop better and quicker diagnostic tools and cell-based products. This will be of great benefit for tomorrow’s Advanced Therapies and of course for patients suffering from liver diseases.” Further information More information soon on the Re-Liver project page: www.reliver.eu This research is receiving funding (4.2 Mio Euros) from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ 2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 304961
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