2016 Biobusiness Awards

2016 Regenerative Medicine Minnesota Biobusiness Awards

Amir A. Naqwi, PhD, MSP Corporation Airway Cell and Nutrient Delivery Device for Regenerative Lung Tissue The need for lung transplants exceeds the supply of donor organs. Dr. Naqwi and collaborators are working with lungs that have been stripped of their original cells and are artificially maintained in a bioreactor. He is developing a device that will spray the walls of the lung scaffolding with living cells, nutrients, and other agents to help successfully regenerate lung tissue. This is an important step toward the development of a bioengineered lung for use in transplant.

Zeeshan H. Syedain, PhD, University of Minnesota Bioreactor for GMP Manufacturing of Tissue Engineered Vascular Graft for Pediatric Regeneration Some children are born without a separate artery from the heart to the lungs, a severe condition that requires repair early in life and may require multiple open-heart surgeries as they outgrow the repair. Living, growing arterial grafts can be made in the lab. Dr. Syedain is developing a way to culture these grafts to meet the standards required for them to be used in humans. If successful, these bioengineered blood vessels could have many other uses.

Kent Vilendrer, MS, MBA, ST3 Development Corporation Regenerative Medicine Bioreactor Drive System Development Organs or tissues are grown in the laboratory using a bioreactor, a machine that provides everything needed for development. Mr. Vilendrer is developing a computer system that could operate bioreactors that support heart valves, automatically monitoring and adjusting the flow of fluids to ensure that the valves develop correctly. This is being done to meet the standards required for use in humans.

Henry Walker, MA, Mayo Clinic Lyophilization Device Regenerative medicine products are being developed to help heal wounds and rebuild other structures in the body. By using freeze-drying (lyophilizing), the function of these products can be retained and they can be transported easily and without deterioration. Dr. Walker is purchasing equipment that will meet the standards required for use in humans.

Dennis Wigle, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic Development of a Novel Adult Stem Cell-based Drug Discovery Platform at Mayo Clinic Dr. Wigle is developing technology that will allow his team to use their extensive biobank of cells to test new medications more quickly and effectively.