A Bioprinting Platform Built Around Fiber and Structure
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, forming the basic building blocks of the fibrous, mechanically robust structures that make up the majority of the human body. Klona Biotech is developing the first bioprinting system specifically designed to print regenerative implants for these fibrous human tissues.
Native tissue is fibrous. Most implants aren't.
The tissues that carry load in your body, like tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and muscles, are made up of a network of precisely organised protein fibers. Reproducing that microarchitecture is the key to creating engineered tissues and implants that seamlessly integrate into the body during healing. Such implants would improve healing speed and long-term outcomes of surgical reconstructions compared to current non-fibrous implants, without the many complications of donor tissue.
Replicating not just structure, but the mechanics.
Klona's bioprinting platform brings together a unique union of in-house developed software, hardware, and material science all developed from the ground up for this purpose of fibrous mechanical tissue printing. Our system's unique capabilities let us not only produce constructs that replicate the fibrous microarchitecture of structural tissues, but also the strength and flexibility necessary for their function. This would let our printed implants reinforce injured tissues as they heal, reducing rates of early reinjury and allowing for earlier physiotherapy interventions.
One platform, many tissues.
Controlling fiber architecture is a general capability, not a single-product trick. Structural tissues make up over 90% of reconstruction procedures, all of which are essentially composed of differently orientated protein fibers. The same printing platform that builds a rotator cuff tendon could be used to print a meniscus or spinal disc with a few alterations.
Starting With Tendons and Ligaments
We've chosen as our first indication a 3D printed medical implant to repair tendons and ligaments. Tendons are one of the most mechanically demanding tissues in the body, and one where today's surgeries consistently fall short.
Why Tendons First?
Strong, highly fibrous, and slow to heal on their own. Frequent re-tears and chronic loss of function. This makes them a demanding target where our approach offers clear advantages.
3D Printing Manufacturing
Printed end to end with no donor tissue, letting us produce them consistently and at scale. 3D printing lets us rapidly switch between tendons like the rotator cuff and Achilles, or even ligaments like the ACL by simply altering the printed geometry.
The Springboard of a New Generation
We are rapidly proving out our technology, manufacturing, and clinical pathway with this first tissue type. This is the foundation for a new generation of 3D-printed tissues.
A Platform for Developing New Medical Implants
We're starting with tendons. Next comes a whole array of 3D-printed tissues and implants, all from one disruptive platform.
Tendon Repair Implant
Our lead program: a 3D printed implant engineered to match the strength and fibrous structure of native tendons. Rapidly extendable to ligaments.
Meniscus Repair
Extending the same platform to compressive load-bearing tissues where fiber alignment and mechanics are also critical.
On-Demand Personalised Implants
Strong, regenerative, patient-specific produced on demand, fully leveraging 3D bioprinting. A path towards making bioprinting systems as common in hospitals as an MRI.
