Organovo Collaborates With UCSF Team to Develop 3D Bioprinted Tissues for Skeletal Disease Research
Muscoskeletal diseases are the second leading cause of disabilities worldwide, while inherited skeletal disorders affect 2.4 out of every 10,000 births. A better understanding of bone formations and constructs is critical to in vitro modeling of bone disease to promote development of drugs for bone growth and repair.
“Partnerships with world-class institutions can accelerate groundbreaking work in finding cures for critical unmet disease needs and the development of implantable therapeutic tissues," said Keith Murphy, Chairman and CEO, Organovo. “This collaboration with UCSF, which combines their expertise with our own, is another important step in this direction. With the devoted support of the Methuselah foundation, leading researchers are able to leverage Organovo’s powerful technology platform to achieve significant breakthroughs.”
“When we study skeletal diseases, such as bone cancer or heterotopic ossification, most of the research occurs in a two-dimensional environment, such as a petri dish. That tells us a lot about how cells interact with other cells, but not how they function in a natural three-dimensional scaffold,” said Dr.
The partnership also includes the UCSF labs of
Under Methuselah's University 3D Bioprinter Program, Methuselah is donating at least $500,000 in direct funding to be divided among several institutions for Organovo bioprinter research projects. This funding will cover budgeted bioprinter costs and key aspects of project execution.
"We at the Methuselah Foundation have been a long-time supporter of academic and industry research in 3D bioprinting, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering," said David Gobel, CEO,
About
Organovo designs and creates functional, three-dimensional human tissues for use in medical research and therapeutic applications. The Company develops 3D human disease models through internal development and in collaboration with pharmaceutical and academic partners.
About
About Methuselah Foundation
The Methuselah Foundation is a non-profit medical charity working to create a world where 90 year olds can have the health profile of 50 year olds, by 2030. By opportunistically leveraging resources, enabling partnerships, and awarding prizes and grants, we accelerate disruptive developments in biomedical engineering that will eradicate needless suffering and extend healthy human life. For more information please visit: www.methuselahfoundation.org and www.neworgan.org.
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Investor Contact:Steve Kunszabo Organovo Holdings, Inc. +1 (858) 224-1092 skunszabo@organovo.com Press Contact:Jessica Yingling Little Dog Communications +1 (858) 480-2411 jessica@litldog.com