Made the first cell therapy for cartilage treatment in the Hospital USP Dexeus articulated knee

-technical pioneering performed for the first time in Spain to save the joint damaged through the introduction of regenerated tissue of the own patient
-ChondroCelect, in the company of cell therapy TiGenix, it is the first and only Cellular therapy drug approved by the European Medicines Agency

Barcelona, March 2012.- the team of orthopedic surgery, Traumatology and sports ICATME medicine has done successfully in the USP Dexeus University Institute first treatment with a medication of regenerative therapy for cartilage articulate. The intervention was made by Dr. Marc Tey and Dr. Joan Carles Monllau last January 2012 to a young patient, 41 years old, who suffered a knee injury.

The operation consisted in an implant of regenerated tissue from the patient himself through TiGenix ChondroCelect, the first and only Cellular therapy drug approved by the European Medicines Agency. The surgical procedure was carried out in two steps: the first was to get a biopsy of the cartilage articulate healthy to obtain cells of cartilage that are cultivated in the laboratory and then in a second step, proceed to the implant the tissue engineered product consisting of cell culture in a conveyor of collagen, in order to repair the injury in the cartilage of the knee.

Cartilage, flexible tissue that covers the bones and serves to enable the articulation movements, deteriorates with age or due to injuries, and their intrinsic regenerative ability is minimal. Provided that there is residual healthy cartilage, the lesions can be treated with success through the implant autologous condrocitos using ChondroCelect.

Says Dr. Marc Tey is the first treatment at the national level with the single cell therapy drug approved by the European Medicines Agency. With this technique, is given a satisfactory answer to the cartilage lesions articulate unresolved completely so far. Cartilage injuries articulate that left untreated, just developing arthrosis.

So far, were implementations of cultivation of condrocitos (cartilage cells) without having control of what was implemented while we with ChondroCelect characterized condrocitos (we know your name and surname) and above all has the endorsement of the European Medicines Agency ”.

According to Eduardo Bravo, CEO of TiGenix, with this patient, Spain joins Belgium, United Kingdom, Germany and Holland in the use of ChondroCelect. It has been many years of research to demonstrate the quality, efficacy and safety of our product which has enabled us to place on the market the first European drug for advanced therapies ”.

The knee unit of ICATME, orthopedic surgery, Traumatology and USP Dexeus sports medicine service, is a pioneer in the treatment of sports injuries of the knee.

About Tigenix

TiGenix is a leading European company in cell therapy with two marketed products and a solid platform with programs of adult stem cells in clinical phase for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

About ICATME-USP DEXEUS

The Department of orthopaedic surgery, Traumatology and sports medicine (ICATME) of USP Dexeus is composed by highly qualified specialists who develop a cutting-edge medical and scientific work which has placed the Barcelona centre at the forefront of many developments in this field. The Department is an international reference in health care to the world of sport in general, either of high competition, amateur or casual basis and acts as Adviser to a large number of elite athletes.

The healthcare and scientific quality of ICATME allows you to be part of the national programme for the training of medical specialists in orthopaedic surgery and traumatology (MIR program). USP Dexeus University Institute was one of the first private universities in Spain.