Study Supports Link Between MiMedx’s Collafix Fibers and Tendon Regeneration

Marietta, Ga.-based MiMedx Group Inc., a regenerative medicine company that uses human amniotic tissue and proprietary processes to make advanced products and therapies for the wound care, surgical, orthopedic, spine, sports medicine, ophthalmic and dental sectors of healthcare, has gotten its peer-reviewed scientific study “Cyclic Tension Promotes Fibroblastic Differentiation of Human MSCs Cultured on Collagen-Fibre Scaffolds” electronically published in the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. According to the company, the study suggests a link between the mechanical properties of the proprietary Collafix fibers and induction of tendon regeneration.

Tendon and ligament injuries caused by trauma or continuous overuse are a common clinical problem. After rupture, many of these patients require tendon/ligament replacements to recover normal activity levels. The traditional replacement materials used for tendon/ligament surgeries have inevitable shortcomings such as donor site morbidity, risk of disease transmission and high long-term failure rate. A very promising therapeutic approach that holds great potential as alternative tissue grafts for these applications is tissue-engineered implants with strong and stiff biocompatible scaffolds. In addition, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been prominently suggested as a potential cell source for tendon/ligament tissue engineering. This scientific study was established to confirm these beliefs.

“Our Collafix fiber braids were developed to be strong enough to carry loads right after surgery and to have the right mechanical properties, those equivalent to tendons, so that repair cells would receive the correct signals to regenerate tendon tissue.” said Parker H. Petit, chairman and CEO of MiMedx. “The significance of this peer-reviewed study article is that it proves the link between the mechanical properties of the fibers and induction of tendon regeneration. We believe that our Collafix platform will be our second truly disruptive technology and we look forward to commercializing it.

Petit explained that the Collafix collagen fiber scaffold was created by wet spinning sub-millimeter fibers from purified soluble collagen and crosslinking these fibers. The study, according to him, established that the collagen fiber scaffold mimicked the mechanical cues provided by the individual fibers in tendon/ligament tissues, and also may act as an ideal tissue-engineered scaffold for mechanical substitution or augmentation for tendon/ligament repair.

“The study demonstrated that the MiMedx collagen fiber-based scaffolds with high tensile strength, combined with cyclic tensile culture, promoted fibroblastic differentiation of MSCs as well as substantial extra-cellular matrix production; and therefore, represent a promising approach to fabrication of tissue-engineered tendon and ligament grafts,” said President and Chief Operating Officer Bill Taylor. “Basically, this means that because the strength and stiffness of CollaFix matches that of native tendons and ligaments, the repair can be exercised very early in rehabilitation. This greatly enhances the engagement of tendon cells and reduces the formation of scar tissue. Thus, a much stronger repair occurs.”

The company also gave an updated status report on its issued and pending patents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and with various international patenting agencies related to its Collafix technology. Worldwide, Collafix technologies are protected with 24 issued patents. Additionally, in the United States and internationally, there are more than 30 patent applications pending covering the company’s Collafix technology.

“We already have an issued patent wherein we pre-load Collafix braids with cells, cyclically load the cells (MSCs) to turn them into tendon fibroblasts, then implant the construct as a tendon augment or replacement,” added Taylor.