Three-Dimensional Plastic Structures Enhance Stem Cell Growth

Hi-tech meets biotech as a plastics manufacturer joins forces with a producer of human stem cells in a collaborative agreement to develop and commercialize stem cell therapeutics for orthopedic applications.

Phillips Plastics Corp. (Prescott, WI, USA; www.phillipsplastics.com), a custom injection molder will be cooperating with BioE (St. Paul, MN, USA), a biomedical company that provides human stem cells for drug discovery and therapeutic research.

The objective of the partnership is to combine BioE's line of highly functional progenitor stem cells derived from human umbilical cord blood and Phillips Plastics' patented and proprietary growth structures. The custom three-dimensional plastic structures promote stem cell growth as was shown in early developmental studies where stem cells differentiated into bone (osteoblasts) and cartilage (chondrocytes) progenitor cells, along with numerous other cell and tissue precursors.

BioE will serve as the commercial arm of the partnership, and has the right to commercialize any combined technologies developed through the collaboration. "The convergence of medical technologies in the form of bio-device combinations has enormous potential in the orthopedic sector,” said Michael Haider, president and CEO of BioE. "We are pleased to partner with Phillips Plastics--which has significant experience in the medical manufacturing arena--to create stem cell therapeutics based on our stem cells. This therapeutics could lead to treatments for osteoporosis and bone fractures of the hip, spine, wrist, arm, and leg, as well as remedies for injured or deteriorated joints throughout the body.”


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