Articular Cartilage Injury and Repair

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

4:00 PM-5:30 PM

BIOMED Seminar (Zoom Only)

CLICK HERE TO ATTEND VIA ZOOM

Title:
Articular Cartilage Injury and Repair

Speaker:
Steven T. Lin, DSc
Chief Executive Officer
BioGend Therapeutics

Details:
Articular cartilage is an essential connective tissue that covers the surfaces of the bones that come in contact to allow smooth movement. Injury to the articular cartilage can cause pain and dysfunction in the joint. The articular cartilage is avascular and cannot heal spontaneously when damaged. If left untreated, the damaged cartilage can continue deteriorating into osteoarthritis, eventually requiring a total joint replacement to relieve pain and restore joint function.   

Several clinical solutions are available to repair cartilage defects. The most frequently used surgical technique to treat small-size defects is debridement or marrow stimulation for temporary pain relief. The repair tissue from marrow stimulation is fibrous and usually lasts two years. The most effective surgical treatment is a cell therapy solution based on the patient’s chondrocytes. This treatment is called autologous chondrocyte implantation, or ACI. However, it requires two surgical steps: a biopsy for in vitro cell expansion and surgical implantation of culture chondrocytes. ACI is a long, cumbersome, and expensive surgical solution.

A novel one-step cell therapy was recently developed and made commercially available (product name: RevoCart). It does not require cell expansion. A small amount of cartilage tissue taken from a non-weight-bearing area of the knee is mechanically and enzymatically processed in the operation room. The fine cartilage tissue particles are delivered to and fixed at the defect site using a bioresorbable scaffold. A clinical follow-up at five years demonstrates that RevoCart outperforms marrow stimulation. RevoCart offers a quick, affordable, effective surgical solution for articular cartilage repair.

Biosketch:
Steven T. Lin, PhD, is a highly skilled and respected biomedical engineer with global experience leading R&D, Technology, and Business Strategy teams to singular success. He has demonstrated an impressive history of stellar accomplishments, from startup ventures to a Fortune 500 company, including CEO at Exactech Taiwan; Vice President of Biologics and Chief Technology Officer at Exactech, Inc.; Vice President of Global Research and Technology at Zimmer; Manager of Advanced Technology at OrthoMatrix, Inc.; and Research Specialist at Hexcel Corporation.

During his 35-year career in the biomedical device industry, Dr. Lin has a proven track record of technology innovations that have contributed significantly to the company's bottom line. In addition, he has built strong working relationships within national as well as international biomedical research communities. He is articulate, team-oriented, creative, and strategic.

Contact Information

Lisa Williams
ltw22@drexel.edu