MgenSolution Accelerates Meniscal Cartilage Implant Development... Applies for Patent on Immune Rejection Solution Technology

On May 21, MgenSolution announced that it is accelerating the development of implants for the treatment of meniscal cartilage injuries.

The meniscal cartilage is located between the knee joints and serves to protect the articular cartilage by transmitting body weight and absorbing shock. When this cartilage is damaged or torn due to aging or excessive exercise, symptoms such as pain, swelling, and knee locking can occur, requiring treatment. According to medical statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, more than 800,000 cases were recorded over the five-year period since 2019.

This project by MgenSolution is part of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s national R&D project for material and component technology development, specifically the “convergence-type project for heterogeneous technologies.” Since last year, the company has been conducting research and development worth approximately 2.5 billion KRW. The focus is on developing composite decellularization technology to overcome immune rejection issues associated with xenogenic biomaterials. This technology is currently under patent review.

The patent application pertains to the development of an efficient decellularization process for meniscal cartilage. It utilizes a composite physical and chemical decellularization technique that combines ultrasound, pressure, and protease treatment. The key advantage of this technology is that it reduces the process time to about one-third of conventional methods, dramatically improving production efficiency. As a result, mass production of meniscal cartilage implants is possible, and the prospects for commercialization have greatly increased.

According to the company, basic research related to implant development has already been completed, and efficacy evaluation is now being prepared using a porcine meniscal cartilage injury model. The company also plans to proceed with biological safety testing, followed by the approval process with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

According to the global research firm MarketsandMarkets, the global osteoarthritis therapeutics market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 8.7%, reaching $11 billion (approximately 15 trillion KRW) by 2025.

MgenSolution recently presented its research achievements at the tissue engineering session of the Korean Society of Polymer Science and was awarded the Encouragement Prize. This society is regarded as a prestigious academic conference in which Korea’s top experts and professors in fields such as semiconductors, biomaterials, and medical devices participate.

A company representative stated, “Through this research, we have taken one step closer to developing implants that can be applied in actual clinical practice,” and added, “We will continue to focus on developing innovative technologies in the field of regenerative medicine.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.