 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||
Cytomatrix |
|
Technology & Applications | ||
| The Company's core technology is a three-dimensional cell growth scaffold called "The CytomatrixTM", a unique, highly porous and highly biocompatible device that allows cells to grow in three dimensions the way they do normally in the body. Made from inert materials through a sophisticated manufacturing process, The CytomatrixTM provides an ideal environment for growing cells outside the body and implantation into the body. |
 |
|||
The CytomatrixTM is made through a chemical vapor deposition process in which certain metals are layered onto an open pore carbon scaffold, creating a structurally strong device with unparalleled porosity. The CytomatrixTM has a plethora of characteristics that are advantageous in maximizing high-quality cell growth: |
||||
|
 |
|||
| The structural geometry and high porosity of The CytomatrixTM are particularly well suited for the growth of hematopoietic stem cells (HCSs), the undifferentiated, multi-potent cells that reside in vivo in the intricate cellular and structural lattice of bone marrow. The geometry and architecture of The CytomatrixTM matrix provide an ideal microenvironment and conditions for the growth of HSCs, enabling their expansion and manipulation under conditions in which no cytokines are added while preserving their normal function. |
||||
Utilizing The CytomatrixTM, the Company focuses on a series of applications in cell therapy and tissue engineering. The objective of cell therapy and tissue engineering is to deliver novel, effective therapeutics for unmet clinical needs using the bodies own, natural cells instead of foreign chemicals and compounds. Our major cell therapy efforts are aimed at using cells of the immuno-hematopoietic (blood) system to treat diseases, for which the Company has several products under development. The products are all based on use of the CytomatrixTM as a cell culture system for growing cells outside of the body and then re-administering them to the patient. The products break down into two broad categories: stem cell (bone marrow) transplantation and immunotherapy. |
||||
The objective of our cell expansion system for stem cell transplantation is to provide patients with greater numbers of high-quality stem cells, that can be given to patients via stem cell transplantation to help them recover from high dose radiation and chemotherapy treatment of their cancer. Importantly, the Company's approach to expanding stem cells in The CytomatrixTM system does not require the use of agents called cytokines, the use of which typically diminishes the quality of the stem cells and their value in recovering from radiation therapy and chemotherapy. |
||||
Our immunotherapy system is a unique approach to generating what is perhaps the body's best natural cell defense, T cells. T cells are the workhorses of the immune system that fight diseases ranging from viruses (such as HIV and hepatitis) to cancers. However, sick individuals often experience a reduction in the ability of their T cells to fight diseases, making their recovery more difficult. Our T cell production system is aimed at making fresh, effective T cells from stem cells outside the body and then giving them to the patient to fight the disease. Our cell therapy product line includes: |
||||
|
||||