Biocomposites' Collaboration wins Nightingale Prize
Posted in November 2005

A collaboration between the research team at Biocomposites, and Keele University Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine (ISTM), has won the 2005 Nightingale Prize for the best scientific paper, awarded by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM).

The prize was accepted by the Keele scientist, Dr. Yang, at a ceremony in September 2005. Co-Author John Cooper, Technical Research Director, is based at Biocomposites Ltd, Keele Science Park.
 
Biocomposites, who engineers synthetic, calcium based, composite surgical implants and bone graft materials, to treat fractures, bone disease and sports injuries, is located in state of the art facilities at the prestigious Keele Science and Business park in Staffordshire, UK.
 
Biocomposites’ research team continues to build on this reputation for cutting edge technology by developing scaffolds to grow cartilage and bone with the objective of growing a human knee. ISTM is a hospital based international leading research centre with a focus on tissue engineering and regeneration medicine.
 
James B Richardson, Professor of orthopaedics at RJAH / ISTM commented “Osteoarthritis is a significant and increasing problem in an ageing population. Joint replacement surgery is currently the main option for worn-out joints. As patients are living longer and their expectation is to remain active as they age, the prospect is that a number of revision operations will be required later in life. The ideal situation would be to replace the worn-out joint with a new articulating surface, which consists of cartilage attached to the sub-chondral bone. Our pioneering clinical work with autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and osteoblast culture puts us in a strong position. Combining these technologies with suitable scaffolds and culture techniques will make it possible to grow a new articulating surface for the patient within the foreseeable future.”