Tissue Therapies claims success in diabetic ulcer study

A new lab study has shown that Brisbane-based Tissue Therapies' (ASX:TIS) VitroGro technology could stimulate the growth of human skin cells, offering hope for a new treatment for diabetic ulcers, the company said.

Tissue Therapies said the in vitro study, undertaken at Queensland University of Technology, of samples taken from around non-healing ulcers that had resulted in amputation of the limbs of diabetic patients, indicate that VitroGro could be developed as a treatment to accelerate healing of diabetic ulcers, and could result in a substantial reduction in amputations due to complications associated with poor healing of ulcers.

Tissue Therapies' CEO Dr Steven Mercer said the company anticipated a large global market for a successful treatment for diabetic ulcers, based on the high cost of existing treatments and high rate of amputation. "The total direct and indirect costs of diabetic ulcer care and amputations in the United States alone is estimated at almost US$6 billion a year, with amputations accounting for around US$1 billion of this," Mercer said in a statement.

Tissue Therapies has worldwide exclusive rights to commercialise the VitroGro wound healing technology. Chief scientist Assoc Prof Zee Upton said the studies showed that even very small quantities of VitroGro could stimulate diabetic skin cells to grow and migrate, an important requirement for wound closure. "These results were achieved using roughly similar amounts of these proteins as occurs naturally in the human body, which means the risk of unexpected side-effects is minimal," she said.

In Australia, more than 3000 people each year are forced to have limbs amputated as the result of diabetes, Mercer said.

The latest findings follow Phase I trials in March which concluded that VitroGro had significantly accelerated skin healing and reduced scarring when used on burns of the type commonly suffered by children.

Mercer said Tissue Therapies would move to animal trials as soon as possible, with human trials expected to start in the first half of 2006.