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Rome, January 2 2012
The THEGRAIL project is granted FP7 EU funds to develop bioactive and bioresorbable scaffold that locally regenerates intima growth after endovascular treatment of the obstructed arteries in patients with atherosclerosis. Within the framework of the THEGRAIL project, Explora will act as coordinator, leveraging its expertise to design and test in vivo the novel scaffold.
The concept of THE GRAIL project is the creation of an in vivo deployable bioactive scafold to treat atherosclerosis. Arterial obstruction due to arteriosclerosis is the cause of a wide spectrum of diseases, disabilities and death, because of induced ischemia in feed arteries of the diseased organs. These organs include the brain (ischemic stroke), the heart, the kidneys, the gastrointestinal tract and the lower limbs (leading to amputations, especially in diabetic patients). The purpose of the in vivo tissue engineered (TE) blood vessel is to offer an alternative treatment for patients affected with this disease: to substitute the actual mechanical, acute oriented rechanneling or by passing of obstructed arteries with a regenerative, physiological, disease solving and long term oriented, approach in the therapy of ischemic cardiovascular disease, compatible with today minimal invasive surgical techniques.
This project gathers together a multidisciplinary team including 4 research centres (University of Liverpool, Univ. of Valladolid, Institut of Bioengineering of Catalunya and the Biomaterial center of the Univ. of Naples Federico II), 1 clinical centre (University Medical Centre of Utrecht) and 3 SMEs: Explora Biotech (IT), Technical Protein Nanobiotechnology (SP) and Conic Cardiovascular (SP). In addition, Donowa Lifescience Consulting will overviews the clinical and regulatory issues to speed up the translation of the novel scaffold to the clinical setting.
"This is an unexplored area arterial obstruction therapy", says Dr. Francesco Serino (Head of the Medical biotechnology unit at Explora Biotech), "the substitution of the diseased arterial intima with an absorbable bioactive scaffold, called the synthesized intimal layer (SIL), is meant to be repopulated by resident and circulating patient's cells". Indeed, SIL does not intend to stent the artery; conversely it aims to replace the diseased and stiffened area with a soft and compliant intelligent scaffold that becomes reabsorbed once its task is completed, leaving a physiologically responsive regenerated tissue.
This project "strengthens our position in the field of bio-nanotechnology and tissue engineering”, says Dr. Davide De Lucrezia (CEO of Explora Biotech), “together with our partners we aim to go
through the entire pre-clinical process, including the whole regulatory work, the GLP animal pre-clinical implants and the design and production of TE device deployment technology”.
Project details: www.thegrail-project.eu |
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Rome, September 15 2011
Dr. Francesco Serino is appointed head of the Medical Biotechnology Unit at Explora Biotech. Dr. Serino will coordinate a group of talented researchers to further advance Explora’s medical biotech pipeline of technologies and products.
"Dr. Serino brings to EXPLORA an impressive background in medical products development and strategic operations,” says Davide De Lucrezia, CEO of Explora Biotech, "His depth of experience and proven track record in vascular surgery will be extremely valuable in helping us strengthen our footing in the medical biotechnology sector.”
Dr. Francesco Serino short BIO
Dr. Francesco Serino is a vascular and endovascular surgeon, head of the endovascular surgery program at IDI IRCCS Hospital and Research Center. Tenure of the vascular pathology laboratory IDI IRCCS, responsible for the experimental vascular surgery lab from 1997 to 2006. Executive Member and Educational program Director for the International Society of Endovascular Specialists. Member of the European Society for Biomaterials and responsible for the ESB/ISES intersociety program. Editorial Board of European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and J. M.S. Project Leader and Site Principal Investigator for 14 Multicenter Clinical trials. Adjunct Professor Bio Engineering Faculty, Nanyang Tech University Singapore (2002-2004).
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WHEN ART MEETS SCIENCE
 Nowadays more and more artists (choreographers, theatre directors, musicians, visual artists) and scientists (chemists, biologists, physicists) are carrying out collaborative research and work at international level to merge contemporary performing arts, science and new technologies, contributing to the definition of new interdisciplinary aesthetic paradigms and challenging scientific paradigms. Explora, always striking to push forward science’s frontiers, is glad to support pioneer artists in their forefront research such as:
Momentum
 What if you could design and construct a novel kind of soft material that possesses a life-like metabolism? These metabolic material would enable architecture to change over time using local sources of energy and raw materials and respond to variations in the urban environment. Such materials could even perform new functions that are not found in nature and could safely remove toxins or nanoparticles from the environment and process them into safer substances. In the documentary “Momentum”, directed by Robert Styblo, Dr. Rachel Amstrong and Prof. Martin Hanczyc will lead us through the wonder of protocells: precursors to a new kind of architectural building block capable to respond to environmental stimuli. Protocells can be designed to extract carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the air and release carbonate into the environment.
Hylozoic Ground
 For 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale we supported the Hylozoic Ground project of Arch. Philip Beesley in collaboration with Dr. Rachel Armstrong and Prof. Martin Hanczyc. Hylozoic Ground is a breathtaking artificial forest which surrounds, responses and adapts to visitors who venture into this mysterious world of transparent tiles and exotic chemistry.
More Info:
www.hylozoicground.com
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Rome, April 2006
Explora S.r.l and BTG S.r.l sign a technological agreement for the development and validation of a DNA microarray for the detection and characterization of nosocomial antibiotic resistance. |
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Rome, May 2006
Explora S.r.l. receives public contribution by Tecno.Tiberis consortium for the development of an innovative methodology for protein engineering by means of in vitro recombination of nucleic acid. |
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