A new clinical-grade collagen made from discarded bullfrog will soon move from the lab table to the clinics.
Collagen is developed through fabric scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) in collaboration with Singapore-based medical generation company Cuprina Wound Care Solutions (Cuprina), which specializes in creating products to treat chronic wounds, such as those suffered by diabetic patients.
Through innovation and NTU’s company, NTUitive, the patented generation to convert bullfrog skin waste into skin healing products for skin wounds, has been exclusively licensed to Cuprina for large-scale advertising production.
If successful, this new product will complement Cuprine’s flagship product, MEDIFLY, a biological dressing consisting of medical-grade Lucilia cuprine worms, which is used in worm debridement therapy.
MEDIFLY is clinically proven for chronic wound infections and reduces rates of amputation caused by wounds, especially in cases related to diabetic foot ulcers, and is used in hospitals and specialist clinics throughout Singapore.
Combined with diabetes in 1 in 10 patients and the immediate aging of the population, the threat of a chronic wound arising is maximum and the demand for affordable care for chronic wounds is expected to increase. .
As a component of the expansion, Cuprina established a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-compliant satellite laboratory at the Singapore Life Sciences Incubator to reflect NTU’s development of collagen extraction and preparation products.
Our purpose is to promote and inspire herbal wound healing, intervening only to help the body do what it does organically. Thanks to NTU’s patented technology, we can expand a diversity of amphibian-derived herbal collagen products that are highly compatible with the human body. It is this compatibility that leads to greater healing effects compared to what is available lately. “
Baptista added that existing studies document the complementary effects of treatment with worms and collagen in cases of wound healing. These studies concentrate on bovine collagen, however, what intrigued Cuprina over amphibian-derived collagen was its potentially greater biocompatibility with humans compared to classic collagen sources. and therefore its ability to quality wound healing.
Currently, 20 million tons of fisheries by-products, such as fins, scales and skins, are discarded annually, and the combined annual intake of frog meat and fish is estimated at around one hundred million kilograms.
Using this seafood waste to create valuable collagen is a sustainable way to recycle and dispose of for Singapore as the country moves towards its 0 waste master plan and fosters a circular bioeconomy.
This studies and commercialization effort will help Singapore achieve its purpose of adapting to a sustainable, resource-efficient and climate-resilient nation, says Associate Professor Dalton Tay of NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering, an expert in the valuation of animal and plant biomass. that innovation has evolved.
“As a component of the NTU 2025 Strategic Plan and its Sustainability Manifesto, we are devising cutting-edge tactics to turn waste into useful fabrics to address some of humanity’s greatest challenges. NTU’s expertise in transforming residual biomass into valuable uncooked fabrics is now highly sought after. then through industry for sustainable sources. In our partnership with Cuprina, we are pleased to be able to meet the goals of Singapore’s circular bioeconomy and healthcare demands with a unique innovation,” says Assoc Prof Tay.
With this collagen-rich marine byproduct as a raw material, the team hopes to decrease the waste and burden of the natural collagen product on a large scale, to provide the public with an affordable yet effective solution for wound care.
Earlier this year, Cuprina’s joint proposal with NTU to expand and boost the commercialization of this exclusive collagen product was announced as one of the winning proposals of the Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge organized through Enterprise Singapore.
Wounds go through 3 stages of healing – inflammatory, proliferative and maturation – the procedure is very complex and requires rapid interventions in each of the phases. Cuprina designs and adapts products for each of the phases to optimize healing.
During the inflammatory phase, the frame produces enzymes that prevent the infection from entering the bloodstream. However, enzymes also prevent unwanted tissues from being expelled from the frame, making it difficult to heal the wound. MEDIFLY works with those enzymes to whiten and disinfect the wound and prepare for the next phase. This activity is imperative to ensure that the effects of the new collagen patch can be fully maximized to produce optimal healing results.
At the moment, the collagen patch aims to provide a scaffolding for white blood cells and healing agents to coagulate and form a protective layer for healing to begin. It will also promote faster recovery by keeping the healing wound moist.
In the final phase, the collagen patch will continue to herald a faster recovery by keeping the healing wound moist and offering collagen as a “building block” for the skin to mature.
Mr. David Quek, CEO of Cuprina Holdings, said the partnership with NTU is the best example of how state-of-the-art medical products can be developed while removing waste from the environment.
“The purpose of our company is to harness the force of nature to drive sustainable progress. Sustainability and progress are mutually exclusive, for us they are highly compatible. Our partnership with Associate Professor Dalton Tay and his team at NTU provides an exclusive opportunity to combine sustainable practices in the form of waste recovery with the progression of new wound care products. Like Cuprina, overcoming the barriers of science is in NTU’s DNA: we couldn’t ask for a better partner,” added M. Quek.
The growing two-year partnership includes plans to conduct clinical trials in local hospitals to validate its protection and efficacy.
Nanyang Technological University
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