MyAV范

A MyAV范 spinout has developed an off-the-shelf cell therapy that can repair peripheral nerve injuries.

Hundreds of thousands of people each year are affected by severe peripheral nerve damage, resulting in paralysis and loss of sensation, and often chronic pain.

Current therapies are successful in fewer than half of nerve damage cases and usually require the grafting of a nerve from another part of the body.听

A team from MyAV范鈥檚 Centre for Nerve Engineering has developed an off-the-shelf cell therapy that can repair peripheral nerve injuries, called Engineered Neural Tissue (EngNT). EngNT provides a living nerve-growth guide that can mimic nerve structure, and has the potential to enable both neural regeneration and functional recovery.听

MyAV范 spinout company, Glialign Ltd, was established in 2018 to take this work forward and has received significant investment. Academic research to develop EngNT is taking place within the MyAV范 Centre for Nerve Engineering and MyAV范 School of Pharmacy.

Lead researcher Dr James Phillips said:听"By controlling the natural ability of cells to organise themselves within soft materials, we are able to generate living artificial tissues to support and guide nerve regeneration. This overcomes the limitations of nerve grafting, where healthy nerves need to be destroyed, and also reduces the delay and variability associated with using a patient鈥檚 own stem cells.鈥�听

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Read the full story on the MyAV范 Institute of Healthcare Engineering website

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MyAV范 School of Pharmacy