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ALLENDALE, N.J., May 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — It all started with a vision by Northwestern’s Dr. Guillermo A. Ameer, Daniel Hale Williams Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering and Surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine, who has been awarded the 2022 Technology Innovation and Development Award by the Society for Biomaterials.
This award recognizes an individual or team’s successful application of basic and applied biomaterials research in the development of a novel medical product or technology that significantly benefits the health and well-being of patients. Ameer’s laboratory is dedicated to the development of citrate-based biomaterials and nanotechnology for drug delivery, cell delivery, and regenerative engineering applications to improve medical devices, surgical outcomes, and patient care.
In accepting this coveted award, Dr. Ameer recognized the contributions made from his current and former research associates involved in the citrate-based biomaterial development including Penn State’s Dr. Jian Yang, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Lloyd & Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair in Regenerative Engineering, and his association with Acuitive Technologies, Inc. who have devoted the past several years developing the Citregen biomaterial platform technology for orthopedic applications.
Acuitive Technologies has received 3 FDA Product Clearances for orthopedic devices (Citrelock™ fixation device, Citrefix™ suture anchor and Citrelock ACL). The Citrelock fixation device was commercially launched in September 2021 with additional products to be commercialized in Q3 2022. Acuitive also has several innovative Citregen based products being readied for the market: Citrepore™ synthetic graft, Citreset™ settable biologic adhesive and Citrebridge™ rotator cuff scaffold. Furthermore Citregel™ diabetic wound hydrogel and Citreglide™ osteochondral repair are currently in the research phase.
This novel class of bioresorbable citrate-based polymers were initially developed by Ameer’s team almost 20 years ago for regenerative engineering applications in vascular and orthopedic tissue engineering. The research and patents by Ameer and Yang are the core biomaterial technology used in new implantable medical devices developed by Acuitive Technologies Inc. Citregen, the first thermoset biodegradable synthetic polymer ever used in implantable medical devices, contains unique chemical and mechanical properties to help grafted and host tissue heal and provides bioenergetic advantages for tissue regeneration.
“Ameer’s research group at Northwestern University was the first to describe the synthesis of bioresorbable biomaterials that are based on citric acid,” wrote MIT professor Robert Langer. “These biomaterials are used for 3D printing medical devices such as stents, drug and protein delivery, and the regeneration of several tissues including blood vessels, cartilage, bone, bladder, and skin. Ameer has co-authored numerous publications in high-impact journals, book chapters, patents, and conference proceedings and has received several awards for his research.”
The Society for Biomaterials is a multidisciplinary society of academic, healthcare, governmental, and business professionals dedicated to promoting advancements in all aspects of biomaterial science, education, and professional standards to enhance human health and quality of life.
