LOWELL, Mass. — RevBio, Inc. has published peer-reviewed results in NPJ Microgravity showing that its TETRANITE regenerative bone adhesive promoted localized new bone growth under microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station.
The study compared TETRANITE, a mineral-organic regenerative biomaterial, with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2, or rhBMP-2, marketed by Medtronic as INFUSE.
“We observed that TETRANITE promotes bone regeneration within the limits defined by the anatomical structure while rhBMP-2 stimulates an excessive amount of bone formation,” said Guiseppe Intini, D.D.S., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Periodontics and Preventive Dentistry at the University of Pittsburgh and a faculty member at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
The experiment involved 40 mice flown to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 26th Commercial Resupply Services mission. Before launch, researchers created surgical defects in the animals’ cranial bones and treated them with TETRANITE, rhBMP-2 or no treatment as a control.
RevBio said the study was designed in part to evaluate bone regeneration in microgravity, where bone loss and impaired skeletal repair are significant concerns.
The research was sponsored by the International Space Station National Laboratory and funded by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc., which manages the ISS National Lab.
Although the experiment focused on cranial bone regeneration, RevBio is also developing TETRANITE for broader musculoskeletal applications, including spinal procedures.
The company said previously published research has also evaluated TETRANITE as a bone grafting material for spinal regeneration.
“Surgeons have long desired a regenerative bone adhesive that can grow new bone as effectively as rhBMP-2, but without the risk of migration, extravasation, and the potential for other serious adverse events,” said Brian Hess, CEO of RevBio. “We see the unlimited commercial potential of TETRANITE to improve clinical outcomes for patients across a broad range of musculoskeletal indications.”
