Madison Magazine Honors Stratatech
Ac-Cell-eration
Posted: 2:48 p.m. CDT September 17, 2003Updated: 3:03 p.m. CDT September 17, 2003
By Jill Ladwig
Madison Magazine Some would call it innovative, others downright miraculous: Stratatech Corporation's core technology is a technique for changing burned or ulcerated skin into healthy new skin.
Founded in 1999 by UW-Madison medical school professor Lynn Allen-Hoffmann and housed at University Research Park, Stratatech cultures human skin cells that can be used to treat burns, test cancer agents and determine how human skin will react to new chemicals and compounds.
The technology was the result of a happy accident that occurred during the course of a routine experiment. Allen-Hoffmann, a pathologist, had been investigating how human skin ages when her lab manager discovered a small group of cells thriving in a petri dish long after other cells in the experiment had died. The miracle cells are truly that, the manifestation of a rare "spontaneous mutation."
The cells were derived from infant circumcision tissue, which is typically discarded. They are comprised almost entirely of keratinocyte cells – the building blocks of human skin. The cultured cells grow into distinct stratified layers, resulting in tissue that's essentially no different from normal skin.
The cells can be engineered for use in a variety of medical and research applications. Because they can be produced on demand, generate an intact epidermis, and represent a consistent source of human skin cells, they serve as an ideal screening platform for health products that would normally be tested on live animals.
More importantly, the Stratatech cells also promote healing. And, unlike similar products they are pathogen-free. The cells are therefore perfect for treating burns and diabetic ulcers – covering the wounds eases the victim's pain and also protects against infections.
Animal tests have confirmed that the engineered tissue will effectively cover and even heal wounds, and the company now has recent FDA approval to conduct human clinical trials.
Madison Magazine Some would call it innovative, others downright miraculous: Stratatech Corporation's core technology is a technique for changing burned or ulcerated skin into healthy new skin.
