A Polish biotech company has won a top national innovation prize for a 3D-bioprinted bionic pancreas it says could one day be transplanted.
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Polbionica took the top award in this year’s Polish Product of the Future competition for its cATMP bionic pancreas.
The company describes it as the world’s first fully functional organ made with 3D bioprinting that can regulate blood sugar in a way that mirrors a natural pancreas.
The company argues the bionic pancreas could eventually offer a new option for people with severe complications from type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body stops producing insulin, and for patients with chronic pancreatitis.
Developers say it could ease the shortage of donor organs, while also serving as a research tool for scientific institutes and pharmaceutical companies testing new therapies.
According to the company, the lab-grown organ is designed to produce insulin and glucagon, the two key hormones that keep glucose levels stable, as well as C-peptide, a substance produced alongside insulin and often used to assess how much insulin the body is making.
The firm says the organ can be produced on demand and stored in a dedicated bioreactor until a transplant is performed.
The Polish Product of the Future competition, run for more than a quarter-century by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), is meant to spotlight and help commercialize the most promising technologies developed in Poland.
Organizers said 152 projects were submitted for the 26th edition, with three main prizes, 10 distinctions, and three special awards granted.
Polbionica won in the „future product” category for entrepreneurs and also received a special award from the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), a state-backed body that supports Polish exporters and helps attract investment.
Polbionica said preclinical tests on large animals showed stable blood flow through the bioprinted organ and reduced insulin needs.
The project has received a scientific opinion from the European Medicines Agency and has been classified as an advanced therapy medicinal product, a European Union category for treatments based on cells, tissues or genes, which face strict oversight.
The company said it is preparing to begin clinical trials.
In the same category, the jury also recognized four other projects: Jasper Micro, a Polish femtosecond laser designed for modern manufacturing and eye surgery; ISaF plus, a 3D-printed titanium implant for spinal surgery; Powder2Powder, a compact system combining plasma melting and ultrasonic atomization to develop new titanium alloys and recycle precious metals; and Intuition-1, a hyperspectral satellite designed to analyze images in orbit for uses ranging from disaster response to geology and mining.
(rt/gs)
Source: pap.pl/mediaroom
Radio Poland