Innovation arises for many reasons. In this post I want to write about two ideas from a paper [1] published a few months ago, that discusses the past and future of tissue engineering, and how this ideas apply to Valencia and its innovation system. The paper is by Anthony Atala, a renowned figure in the field with significant contributions and impact on its development in the past decades.
Patient Enrollment in Clinical Trials. According to Atala, the number one challenge in getting products through the regulatory approval process is patient enrollment. Systems within corporations and health centers are often cumbersome, with a lack of coordinated efforts for ethical review boards, legal and financial expectations, and patient availability. We need programs that ease patient recruitment, from networks of hospitals, through a unified review process.
> I believe this applies very much to Valencia and its innovation system. We have a productive academic environment in the field and an excellent clinical network of hospitals. If more research results from our universities are to reach human clinical studies, then we need dedicated local or regional networks of hospitals with labs and units able to work with tissue engineering applications and simplify / unify the process. We could organise relationships to facilitate human trials in the field of tissue engineering. This is achievable for Valencia and its very good hospital and research networks.
Manufacturing technology from research results. This is the second major challenge according to Atala. Technologies (tissue-engineered products, bioprinting systems, microfluidics) have been and still are much more difficult to manufacture than initially thought. Most technologies have prolonged development timelines, high production and sale costs, and issues with end user adoption. For these technologies to reach a commercial phase there should be increased investment, coordinated manufacturing efforts ,and workforce development programs.
> This also applies to Valencia’s innovation system, although with a more challenging outlook. The manufacturing and investment environment in the region would have to increase strongly. We should update training programs at university level when needed, and support locally created jobs in the field. It might be difficult to achieve these goals. Many regions and nations attempt to achieve the same goals. Its complex and very influenced by external factors. We could follow the experience of other regions in Spain and other countries that started form similar conditions. We should implement proven, long-term strategies such as increasing investment in our industrial fabric and supporting manufacturing capabilities for tissue engineering products that reach clinical phases.
[1] Atala A. Thirty Years of Tissue Engineering. Tissue Eng Part A. 2024 Jan;30(1-2):5-13. doi: 10.1089/ten.TEA.2023.0322. PMID: 37950711.
Image credit: CDC
Andrés Alba-Pérez 