Blogged by Stem Cell Worx. As reported in the Irish Medical Times.

Scientists at NUI Galway are investigating how adult stem cells might be used to develop new treatments for vascular disease, osteoarthritis and lung injury.

Stem cells hold great promise as an alternative to drugs and surgical procedures for treating a wide range of medical conditions including heart disease, arterial disease of the limbs, diabetes complications, arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, Prof Frank Barry said.

The University has become a leading centre of translational research in adult stem cells involving its National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science (NCBES) and REMEDI.

A new Irish company Orbsen Therapeutics is developing proprietary technologies designed to isolate stem cells. Prof Barry is a Director of Orbsen Therapeutics. The NUI Galway spin-out is targeting the expanding regenerative medicine market. The treatment potential of stem cells is linked to their natural capacity to dampen inflammation and promote healing, repair and regeneration of damaged tissues.

According to Prof Barry: “Ireland has a strong research base in adult stem cell therapy and has the capacity for advanced stem cell bio-processing. There is huge potential in this market and we anticipate that there will be extraordinary growth over the next five-to-10 years. There are currently over 400 regenerative medicine products on the market with many more in development.” Orbsen Therapeutics has developed a clear pipeline of clinical indications which it hopes — using proprietary technologies — to bring through to clinical trial over the coming years. These include osteoarthritis, acute lung injury syndrome, diabetic foot ulcer, critical limb ischaemia and others. “Combining the utility, novelty and the value of its technologies, Orbsen is well-placed to take advantage of the many opportunities in this fast-moving and important emerging market”, said Brian Molloy, CEO of Orbsen Theraepeutics.