Essent Biologics Launches Revolutionary Human Native Tissue-derived Type I Collagen
Providing Researchers with the Gold Standard in Tissue Engineering
Centennial, Colo. — January 24, 2023 — Essent Biologics™, a leading supplier of human-derived cell and scaffold materials, today announced availability of its Human Native Tissue-Derived Type I Atelocollagen for the cell and tissue engineering industry. Extracted and purified from human tissue, Essent’s Human Native Tissue-Derived Type I Atelocollagen contains comprehensive properties—making it the first choice for two- and three-dimensional cell culture, labware coating applications, drug delivery, bioprinting, and as a scaffold for a myriad tissue engineering modalities.
As the main structural protein in the human body, native Type I collagen is crucial to a vast array of medical and scientific research, providing structure to 3D scaffolds and an ideal ex-vivo environment for the attachment, proliferation, differentiation, and migration of cells. Essent’s Human Native Tissue-Derived Type I Atelocollagen is isolated from the skin of consenting tissue donors aged 18-30 years old, processed under antibiotic-free conditions and evaluated for purity, identity, functionality, sterility, and endotoxin.
“We are thrilled to launch our Human Native Tissue-Derived Atelocollagen to the market,” said Corey Stone, President of Essent Biologics. “With a purity ranging from 95-100%, our collagen is poised to provide one of the highest standards in quality—allowing our customers to have a better and more consistent starting material in their research and manufacturing.”
Essent’s Human Native Tissue-Derived Type I Atelocollagen is optimal for many cell and tissue engineering applications because it has undergone the natural extracellular post-translational modifications and interacted with other biomolecules from the matrisome.
For additional information on the company’s product pipeline, please visit essentbiologics.org/products/.
About Essent Biologics
Essent Biologics is setting a new standard in human-derived biomaterials and comprehensive data for research. The nonprofit biotechnology company provides low-passaged primary cells, research tissue and scaffold materials to advance regenerative medicine research from benchtop to bedside. Essent Biologics supplies products in small or large volumes and serves as a manufacturing partner by creating master cell banks and an inventory of custom products within a tailored specification. In order to ensure reliable product quality, safety and efficacy, Essent Biologics products are developed using robust design control processes and produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). For more information, please visit essentbiologics.org.
Essent Biologics Launches Micronized Bone Matrix for 3d Bioprinting and Tissue Engineering Applications
Centennial, Colo. — December 13, 2022 — Essent BiologicsTM, a leading supplier of human-derived cell and scaffold materials, today announced availability of its Micronized Bone Matrix (MBM) for 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering applications. Essent Biologics will provide a mineralized allograft bone matrix derived from human ground cortical bone that contains native proteins, such as Collagen Type I, and native elements and minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus.
With the increased focus on additive manufacturing technologies to advance bone tissue engineering, the demand for biologically relevant scaffolds and bio-ink additives has grown at a steady pace. As an integral part of bone tissue engineering, scaffolds are 3D biocompatible structures which can mimic the ECM properties—including mechanical support and cellular stimulation through biochemical and mechanical interactions—and provide a template for cell attachment to stimulate bone tissue formation.
“Providing this human scaffolding material provides a ready-made, biologically relevant bioink additive for researchers in the 3D Printing world,” said Jeffrey Brown, Executive Vice President of Research & Development at Essent Biologics. “Essent’s MBM, along with our previously launched demineralized ground bone product, Spectral DBM, will support the work of those interested in human bone characterization as well as the burgeoning field of bone tissue engineering.”
Essent Biologics’ MBM is provided at a compatible size for extrusion 3D bioprinting, with a ≤300μm particle size, and is recovered and processed without the use of animal products.
For additional information on the company’s product pipeline, please visit essentbiologics.org/products/.
About Essent Biologics
Essent Biologics is setting a new standard in human-derived biomaterials and comprehensive data for research. The nonprofit biotechnology company provides low-passaged primary cells, research tissue and scaffold materials to advance regenerative medicine research from benchtop to bedside. Essent Biologics supplies products in small or large volumes and serves as a manufacturing partner by creating master cell banks and an inventory of custom products within a tailored specification. In order to ensure reliable product quality, safety and efficacy, Essent Biologics products are developed using robust design control processes and produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). For more information, please visit essentbiologics.org.
Essent Biologics releases Amnion Foundation’s first Human Pre-eclamptic Primary Cytotrophoblasts and Hofbauer cells
Providing Researchers with Breakthrough Materials to Investigate Pre-Eclampsia
Centennial, Colo. — August 23, 2022 — Essent Biologics™, a leading supplier of human-derived cell and scaffold materials, today announced availability for investigational researchers to obtain human pre-eclamptic cytotrophoblasts and Hofbauer cells through its distribution agreement with the Amnion Foundation.
The Amnion Foundation successfully isolated cytotrophoblasts and Hofbauer cells from the post-partum placenta of a donor with confirmed pre-eclampsia, enabling researchers to further investigate disease mechanisms at the cellular level and identify key differences in health and disease.
Pre-eclampsia is one of the leading causes of death in pregnant women, yet treatment options are limited and the disease etiology is poorly understood. Research studies are crucial to elucidating mechanisms and developing new effective treatments that improve the lives of both mother and child.
“The Amnion Foundation team leveraged their proprietary methods to establish disease-origin cytotrophoblasts and Hofbauer cells from a pre-eclamptic placenta,” said Sharon Presnell, Ph.D., President and Director of Client Services for Amnion Foundation. “This provides an exciting opportunity for researchers in this space to expand their efforts and investigate cellular function in both health and disease using well characterized cells. Together, with Essent, we have reached an important milestone on our mission to make living cells from birth tissue accessible to support the development of life-changing therapies.”
“We are proud to have a collaborative relationship with such an innovative partner in the Amnion Foundation,” said Dr. Jeff Brown. “It’s exciting to be able to support the Amnion Foundation with this breakthrough in post-partum research tools. The availability of these rare cells will open up new avenues for researchers and clinicians to further investigate this complicated disorder that affects so many mothers and babies.”
About Amnion Foundation
The Amnion Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 organization located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. As an operating 501(c)3, Amnion actively processes donated birth tissues (placenta and umbilical cord) to generate viable human cells that are provided to researchers in academia, government, and pharma to support the development of in vitro models and in vivo therapies. The Foundation provides research-grade cells and related services to clients and has both GLP- and GMP-compliant capabilities. All donations to the Amnion Foundation are tax deductible and donors are provided the opportunity to direct their funds across a spectrum of internal and external projects. To learn more please visit www.amnionfoundation.org.
About Essent Biologics
Essent Biologics is setting a new standard in human-derived biomaterials and comprehensive data for research. The nonprofit biotechnology company provides low-passaged primary cells, research tissue and scaffold materials to advance regenerative medicine research from benchtop to bedside. Essent Biologics supplies products in small or large volumes and serves as a manufacturing partner by creating master cell banks and an inventory of custom products within a tailored specification. In order to ensure reliable product quality, safety and efficacy, all Essent Biologics products are developed using robust design control processes and produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). For more information, please visit essentbiologics.org.
Essent Biologics launches Wharton’s jelly-derived human mesenchymal stromal cells to further cell therapy research
Essent Continues to Broaden Its Highly Characterized, Low Passage Primary Cell Catalog
Centennial, Colo. — April 7, 2022 — Essent Biologics™, a leading supplier of adult human-derived cell and scaffold materials, today announced it has launched a new line of primary cells: Wharton’s jelly-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (hWJMSC), to its growing product portfolio.
Isolated from human umbilical cord tissue, Essent’s hWJMSCs originate from a single donor and are proven to differentiate in vitro toward chondrogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. In addition, these cells have a unique secretory profile with anti-inflammatory properties–making them extremely attractive for both research and therapeutics within the regenerative medicine and tissue engineering fields.
“Our strong partnership with AlloSource allows us access to donated placentas from their Placenta Donation Program, sourcing from women 30 years and younger,” said Courtney Jurbala, Vice President of Business Operations. “We collect the cells from the research-consented donated placenta, after a new life has been born and the mother goes home with her baby. The miracle of life continues to advance the field of regenerative medicine with a simple donation.”
Rigorously characterized to ISCT guidelines, Essent’s hWJMSCs are validated to guarantee at least one million cells per vial post thaw at low passage. In addition, Essent offers flash-frozen origin tissue as a companion product for each lot of cells, the Essent Origin Sample™, so that researchers always know their source.
Essent’s non-GMP hWJMSC are available immediately for purchase, with GMP available June 2022. Click to learn more and order today.
About Essent Biologics
Essent Biologics is setting a new standard in human-derived biomaterials and comprehensive data for research. The nonprofit biotechnology company provides low-passaged primary cells, research tissue and scaffold materials to advance regenerative medicine research from benchtop to bedside. Essent Biologics supplies products in small or large volumes and serves as a manufacturing partner by creating master cell banks and an inventory of custom products within a tailored specification. In order to ensure reliable product quality, safety and efficacy, all Essent Biologics products are developed using robust design control processes and produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). For more information, please visit essentbiologics.org.
Essent Biologics and Amnion Foundation partner to provide germinal-origin cells to further drug discovery and regenerative medicine research
Distribution Agreement Will Allow Access to Innovative Full-Term Placenta-Derived Cells to Support Ground-Breaking Research
Centennial, Colo. — December 14, 2021 — Essent Biologics™, a leading supplier of adult human-derived cell and scaffold materials, today announced it has entered into a global distribution partnership agreement with the Amnion Foundation, a non-profit cell bank specializing in birth-tissue related cells and services.
This distribution agreement marks the first time that several unique cell types - cytotrophoblasts, Hofbauer cells, and placental stem/stromal cells - have been made commercially available worldwide for use in regenerative medicine, toxicology, and drug development. The partnership furthers the companies’ shared mission to democratize global access to non-controversial, full-term placental tissue-derived cell types.
“We have a strong relationship with Essent Biologics and are confident in our collective ability to make birth tissue-derived cells accessible to researchers worldwide,” said Sharon Presnell, Ph.D., President and Director of Research Services. “We are thrilled to work with the team at Essent to get our unique cells in the hands of leading researchers discovering and developing new in vitro models and regenerative medicine products.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Essent Biologics customers gain access to an expanded cell product portfolio which includes following Amnion Foundation products:
- Cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) - Germinal-origin epithelial stem cells responsible for creating a barrier between the maternal blood and the developing baby. Until recently, recovering cytotrophoblasts from a full term placenta was considered a major technical hurdle: the typical methods involved the use of preterm fetal tissue. Innovation from the team at the Amnion Foundation led to robust methods for isolating and propagating these cells from full-term placentae, after healthy delivery of the baby.
- Placental Stem Cells (PSC’s) - The placenta contains multiple specialized cell types, including phenotypically stable mesenchymal stem/stromal cells, that can be expanded extensively to create large banks of cells to support research, pre-clinical, and clinical programs. The PSCs, backed by over two decades of peer-reviewed scientific publications, are now available to support research in regenerative medicine.
- Macrophages (Hofbauer Cells) - Highly specialized tissue macrophages, called Hofbauer cells, may play a role in the vertical transmission of infectious agents, including Zika virus, from mother to child, making this cell type of particular interest in the study of infectious disease. These tissue-specific germinal origin macrophages provide greater context for experimental outcomes compared to standard monocyte-derived macrophages.
- Microvascular Endothelial Cells (MVECs) - Human placental MVECs are isolated from the microvasculature of full-term placenta and propagated at either standard atmospheric oxygen tension or physiologically-relevant oxygen tension. Unlike HUVECs, which come from large adult blood vessels, MVECs are germinal in origin and more biologically relevant for regenerative medicine products and in vitro barrier models.
“This partnership furthers our combined mission to provide our community with the highest quality of cell materials for research to move the needle in expanding regenerative medicine,” said Corey Stone, President, Essent Biologics. “This agreement will provide global access to the Amnion Foundation’s germinal-origin stem cells, a natural extension and strategic partnership to develop break-through processes and create unique, specialized products and to commercialize and provide to untapped markets.”
All four cell types and associated media products are immediately available to order at essentbiologics.org/products.
About Essent Biologics
Essent Biologics is setting a new standard in human-derived biomaterials and comprehensive data for research. The nonprofit biotechnology company provides low-passaged primary cells, research tissue and scaffold materials to advance regenerative medicine research from benchtop to bedside. Essent Biologics supplies products in small or large volumes and serves as a manufacturing partner by creating master cell banks and an inventory of custom products within a tailored specification. In order to ensure reliable product quality, safety and efficacy, all Essent Biologics products are developed using robust design control processes and produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). For more information, please visit essentbiologics.org.
About Amnion Foundation
The Amnion Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 organization located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. As an operating 501(c)3, Amnion actively processes donated birth tissues (placenta and umbilical cord) to generate viable human cells that are provided to researchers in academia, government, and pharma to support the development of in vitro models and in vivo therapies. The Foundation provides research-grade cells and related services to clients and has both GLP- and GMP-compliant capabilities. To learn more please visit www.amnionfoundation.org. All donations to the Amnion Foundation are tax deductible and donors are provided the opportunity to direct their funds across a spectrum of internal and external projects.
Essent Biologics announces human mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative medicine, biopharmaceutical and cell therapy research
Centennial, Colo. — June 8, 2021 — Essent Biologics™, a nonprofit biotechnology company setting a new standard in human-derived biomaterials and comprehensive data for research, today announced the launch of its human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) for regenerative medicine, biopharmaceutical and cell therapy research. Essent Biologics will provide highly-characterized, low-passaged hMSCs. Each vial will contain over one million cells at thaw and have a passage level of P0 or P1 to ensure potency.
The company’s hMSCs are the first commercial hMSC product that is recovered, expanded and cryopreserved without the use of antibiotics or animal products. Additionally, with each order of hMSCs, Essent Biologics can provide full donor information coupled with a source biopsy called the Essent Origin Sample™.
This is an important milestone in getting our products into the hands of brilliant researchers, said Corey Stone, Executive Director, Essent Biologics. Our stem cells are the ideal input to your experiment, whether you are developing cell-based therapies, spheroids, bioprinted constructs, microfluidic chips or complex in vitro models.
As a strategic venture from AlloSource, a nonprofit leader in providing allografts that maximize tissue donation to help surgeons heal their patients, Essent Biologics’ hMSCs are produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). The company builds their hMSCs to align with International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) guidelines to ensure identity, function and sterility.
For additional information on the company’s product pipeline, please visit essentbiologics.org/products/.
About Essent Biologics
Essent Biologics is setting a new standard in human-derived biomaterials and comprehensive data for research. The nonprofit biotechnology company provides low-passaged primary cells, research tissue and scaffold materials to advance regenerative medicine research from benchtop to bedside. Essent Biologics supplies products in small or large volumes and serves as a manufacturing partner by creating master cell banks and an inventory of custom products within a tailored specification. In order to ensure reliable product quality, safety and efficacy, all Essent Biologics products are developed using robust design control processes and produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). For more information, please visit essentbiologics.org.
Essent Biologics launches with a mission to provide human-derived biomaterials and 3D biology data for cell therapy and tissue engineering
Centennial, Colo. — January 26, 2021 — Essent Biologics™, a nonprofit biotechnology company emerging from two years of stealth-mode operation, today announced its launch as a new venture to meet the growing need for human-derived biomaterials and data to the regenerative medicine research community, as well as producing key inputs for further manufacturing by clinical partners.
As a new venture from AlloSource, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of fresh cartilage tissue used for joint repair and skin allografts to heal severe burns, Essent Biologics will leverage its connection to human tissue donation by providing low passaged primary cell lines, origin tissue and comprehensive donor data to advance translational research from benchtop to bedside. The company also has the capability to serve as a biomanufacturing partner, creating a large inventory of custom products.
“We are proud to set a new standard in human-derived biomaterials for research,” said Corey Stone, Executive Director, Essent Biologics. “Essent will motivate and empower the work researchers are doing by supporting the development of innovative therapies through quality biomaterials and powerful data.”
Essent Biologics will supply highly characterized human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). The company has already partnered with leading academic research and biopharmaceutical companies who excitedly await Essent Biologics’ official product launch, anticipated in April. For additional information on the company’s product pipeline, please visit essentbiologics.org.
“The work Essent is doing to help accelerate research through human clinical trials is remarkable,” said Ethan Mann, CEO of Validus Cellular Therapeutics, Inc. “We are excited to partner with such an innovative company who will support research to develop new medical solutions, and we look forward to their future growth.”
According to Allied Market Research, the Cellular Therapy and Tissue Engineering industries are some of the fastest growing in the regenerative medicine sector. The Cellular Therapy market tallied a total expenditure of $7.25 billion in 2019 and is expected to hit $48.11 billion by 2027. The Tissue Engineering market tallied a total expenditure of $2.3 billion in 2019 and is expected to hit $6.8 billion by 2027. These strong growth rates are powered by an increase in clinical trials and manufacturing throughput.
About Essent Biologics
Essent Biologics is setting a new standard in human-derived biomaterials and 3D biology data for research. The nonprofit biotechnology company provides low passaged primary cells, origin tissue and scaffolds, as well as comprehensive donor and product data to advance regenerative medicine research from benchtop to bedside. Essent Biologics supplies products in small or large volumes and serves as a manufacturing partner by creating master cell banks and an inventory of custom products within a tailored specification. To ensure reliable product quality, safety and efficacy, all Essent Biologics products are developed using robust design control processes and produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). For more information, please visit essentbiologics.org.
