Local biotech company Miromatrix Medical has received a $1.97 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases to continue the development of its bioengineered liver.
There are currently more than 100,000 people in the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. Miromatrix hopes to tackle part of this problem through a bioengineered transplantable liver.
The company creates these organs by stripping cells from pig organs, leaving behind a collagen scaffold. The company then “recellularizes” that scaffold with cells taken from a patient. The goal is to quickly create organs compatible with a patient’s body so people don’t have to wait for a donor organ to become available.
"We're thrilled to receive support from the NIDDK and NIH along with additional affirmation of the groundbreaking work we're doing to develop fully functional transplantable livers and provide more options for the thousands of patients with liver failure who face an uncertain future," Miromatrix CEO Dr. Jeff Ross said in a statement.
Miromatrix's technology was first developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota. The company previously told the Biz Journal that it could begin testing the organs in humans as early as the end of next year.
Miromatrix currently has two products on the market: Miromesh and Miroderm. Miromesh reinforces soft tissue and is used during plastic and reconstructive surgery, while Miroderm is used for managing wounds.
Combined, these two medical devices have netted the company around $1.75 million in 2018 and around $1.2 million the year prior.
Earlier this year, Miromatrix spun off a portion of its business to create a new startup: Reprise Biomedical. Reprise launched with around $12.5 million in private funding. Reprise now manages Miromesh and Miroderm.
