Graftless Bone Transplants Soon to Be Reality: ADAM Takes 3D Bones to Clinical Trials

A Connecticut-based bioprinting startup is piloting the use of ceramics and polymer in 3D-printed bone implants, able to be produced at commodity prices.

GROTON, Conn.Dec. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — On the shady campus of the BioCT accelerator in Groton, Connecticut, ADAM Project is preparing to take a solution to a decades-long health problem to clinical trials. The bone printing startup is currently prototyping two types of 3D-printed bones as safe, functional substitutes for traditional bone transplants. One type is made from ceramic, which merges with the patient’s tissue, the other from polymer. What’s unique about ADAM is that the bones they print can be constructed nearly as easily as any 3D-printed commodity.

3D printing has been discussed as something of a magic bullet of organ and bone transplants for some time — and that’s just the problem. It has been nearly two decades since the first bioprinting efforts began, and yet in hospitals and clinics, the transplantation process remains relatively unchanged. Bioprinted bones are much simpler to engineer than tissues or organs, but finding the right materials has, nonetheless, been a major roadblock to mass adoption.

Using inorganic but bioabsorbable materials, ADAM’s approach is essentially the same as industrial projects. After passing federal regulatory procedures, certified clinics would be able to print off transplantable bones in just one day on-site. In the U.S., where another name is added to the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes, the impact of such technology would be a milestone in regenerative care. And while ADAM’s current focus is on bones, the R&D team is concurrently looking at potential uses for polymer in printing other tissues, such as heart valves and blood vessels.

Dr. Cato Laurencin, distinguished orthopedic surgeon and director of the Center for Biomedical, Biological, Physical, and Engineering Sciences at the University of Connecticut, lends his expertise to the project as a scientific consultant. He says that cancer patients are one of the populations that will benefit from ADAM’s bones.

“The skeleton is the most common site for metastases in patients suffering from cancer of breast, prostate, lung, thyroid, and kidney. When we talk about bone grafts, a big part of that is about intervening in cancer cases and offering patients a treatment that is effective and minimally invasive,” says Dr. Laurencin. “ADAM is using a material that is uniquely able to integrate with the recipient’s own tissue. That makes recovery in these cases possible, potentially more completely than is possible with current options.”

ADAM is a member of BioCT and the BioFabUSA program of the Advanced Regeneration Manufacturing Institute (ARMI). The first human trials of ADAM bones will begin by the end of the year.

Media/Investor Contact: 

Volodymyr Usov, CEO
Email: vu@adamproject.org

Denys Gurak, Chairman
Email: dg@adamproject.org

About Peter Coffaro 472 Articles
A growth-driven and strategic executive, Peter Coffaro commands more than 25 years of progressive management success within the medical device industry. Recognized by the World Journal of Orthopedics, Exponential Healthtech, and MedReps.com as one of the top medical sales influencers in the industry; he has 10 years of combined sales management experience and has held positions as a Director, General Manager, Distributor, and Vice President. Peter has worked for some of the top orthopedic companies in the world - Zimmer, DePuy, and Stryker. He is also the founder of OrthoFeed: a popular blog that covers digital orthopedic news and emerging medical technologies. Peter is a three-time Hall of Fame award winner at Johnson and Johnson and has an extensive background in organizational development, business development, sales management, digital marketing, and professional education. Peter holds a B.S. degree in Biology and Chemistry from Northern Illinois University.

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