Tissue-Engineered Urinary Bladder Using Autologous Cells

Introduction There is a variety of reasons that a person’s bladder may fail or require removal, including bladder acontractility, cancer, and cystitis. Unfortunately, conventional artificial bladders tend to suffer from critical complications, such as inadequate performance, infection, and adverse host response. Ideally, a new bladder could simply be formed from the patient’s own cells. Technology Description Professor Ratner at the University of Washington has developed a technique to create tissue-engineered artificial bladders grown from autologous urothelial and bladder smooth muscle cells. The process utilizes a specially designed bioreactor, which contains a synthetic, biocompatible tissue-engineering scaffold that provides the framework for an operational and biocompatible artificial bladder. The autologous cells ensure that adverse host response is diminished, and the scaffold allows for highly tunable and consistent tissue growth. Business Opportunity The ability to create artificial bladders that closely match to the highly specific form and function of a natural bladder and that utilize a patient’s own cells, presents opportunities to help many individuals. These engineered organs would replace the typically problematic conventional alternatives for bladder replacement and realize decreased risk, time, and cost because of less surgery, medication, and maintenance while offering an improved quality of life for the patient. Stage of Development A working methodology and prototype for this technology is in development. Intellectual Property Position The UW is currently reviewing this technology for worldwide patent protection. For more information on this technology contact:
Kelly FitzGerald, PhD Technology Manager, Invention Licensing [email protected] 206-543-3970

Type of Offer: Licensing



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