TECHNOLOGY - Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct

Beyond spinal cord injury – research brings hope on World SCI day

Assoc Professor James St John and his team are working on a biological treatment for SCI

On World Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness Day, the Precinct’s BIOSPINE project, led by Griffith University biomechanical engineer Professor David Lloyd, is close to finalising a large research contract that is set to position the GCHKP as a global leader in spinal injury rehabilitation.

With industry and philanthropic support already locked in, a team of 15 researchers primarily from Griffith and including collaborators from Harvard and the University of Sydney are set to take promising research, founded on their novel digital twin platform technology – ‘Personalised Digital Human’, to the next exciting step towards a spinal injury cure.

The flagship project is just one being pursued by Professor’s Lloyd’s team within an international group of more than 90 collaborators developing next-generation intelligent approaches to training, treatment, surgery planning and rehabilitation, addressing neuromusculoskeletal (neurological and orthopaedic) and vascular (cardio and neuro vascular) conditions.

Meanwhile a 30-strong team in the Precinct’s Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, also at Griffith University, is refining research that has already been successful in regrowing spinal nerve tissue in some animal models.

Professor David Lloyd (standing), Dr Dinesh Palipana and Dr Claudio Pizzalato

Novel approach to neurorehabilitation

The BIOSPINE project has the support of a Perpetual IMPACT funding grant of $138,000, and researchers will work with US-based Restorative Therapies (Maryland), the industry leader in integrated functional electrical stimulation (iFES), and Making Strides, a Gold Coast-based leading Australian rehabilitation provider for SCI patients.

Restorative Therapies has successfully worked with more than 100,000 SCI, Stroke, MS, Cerebral Palsy and Traumatic Brain Injury patients in 1,000 clinics and 4,000 homes over the past 15 years and will supply equipment and software to BIOSPINE – an FES stimulator and RT300 iFES Leg Neurological Rehabilitation system.

Making Strides will translate the research through patient therapy.

Professor Ted Teng, of Harvard University School of Medicine and leading US facility Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, will provide pharmaceutical pairing for neurorestoration to enhance the effects of the intelligent physical therapy.

It’s hoped Professor Lloyd’s project can also integrate with the biologics work of Associate Professor James St John’s team on the Spinal Injury Project for a complete approach to SCI recovery.

Biologics hold out hope of cure

Mayor Tom Tate and benefactor Perry Cross (Perrry Cross Foundation) tour a specialised research laboratory

The Spinal Injury Project is a group of scientists, engineers, medical doctors, veterinarians and educators at Griffith University all working together to develop a cell transplantation therapy to treat traumatic spinal cord injuries.

The therapy involves the transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (OECs) – a specialised type of cell from the nose, into the spinal cord to help the guidance and regrowth of nerve cells across the injury site.

Recent progress has demonstrated that transplanting a nerve bridge made of the OECs results in the nerve cells growing across the injury site in animal models. The therapy works in some animals, but not all, and work is ongoing to improve the therapy so that a wider range of injuries can be treated more consistently and it can proceed to clinical trials.

Filed Under: INVEST, TECHNOLOGY

Chinese partnerships to grow the bioeconomy on the Gold Coast

The SinoBioway delegation meet representatives from the GCHKP and Griffith University

The Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP) and Griffith University have signed complimentary memorandums of understanding (MOU’s) with a major Chinese biotechnology company associated with Beijing University, paving the way for significant research jobs and opportunities.

SinoBioway is a Chinese leader in developing biology-based technologies for medical, environmental and manufacturing applications and will set up an Australian landing company based in the GCHKP as it explores research projects with Griffith experts, and eventually a permanent presence in the Precinct.

The MOU with Griffith University is focused on stem cell research, identifying opportunities for project collaboration and joint research funding applications, promotion of Griffith capabilities and technologies in China and potential for clinical trials in China.

The Griffith MOU specifies a relationship with SinioBioway subsidiary Bantang National Gene Centre, based with the parent company in the Chaohu Economic Development Zone in Hefei, Anhui Province, while also allowing scope for broader opportunities across the company’s diverse operations.

GCHKP Project Director Di Dixon with Griffith Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Ned Pankhurst, SinoBioway Chairman Li Yunming and Griffith Enterprise Deputy Director Dr Jens Tampe

Stem Cell Research to be focus for collaboration

The MOU signings follow a high level visit to the GCHKP by representatives of SinoBioway, including Chairman Li Yunming, that included presentations on the Precinct, a visit to the Gold Coast University Hospital and viewing of investment sites, and presentations and a laboratory tour to showcase Griffith’s research capabilities.

The Precinct’s innovation and co-working hub, Cohort, has been identified as a potential landing space for SinoBioway’s initial operations in Australia, providing ready access to researchers working on stem-cell based spinal injury repair at the Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, Menzies Health Institute Queensland.

Opportunities have also been identified to utilised Griffith’s unique Neurobank resource, and the delegation was also given a presentation on an exciting Medtech funded project that is developing artificial wrist ligament, led by GCUH orthopaedic surgeon and Griffith Professor Randy Bindra and leading biomechanical engineer Professor David Lloyd.

Professor Randy Bindra (right) trains surgeons from India in the latest wrist surgery techniques

Environmental technologies and advanced manufacturing opportunities to be explored

Professor Huijun Zhao, Director, Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, Deputy Director Griffith Environmental Futures Institute

The MOU may also allow collaboration to be explored with the Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, led by Professor Huijun Zhao, who holds distinguished membership of the Chinese Government’s One Thousand Foreign Experts Program of “State Specially Recruited Experts”, and is also Director of Centre for Environment and Energy nanomaterials, at the Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Hefei.

As one of China’s largest bioengineering pharmaceutical firms, Sinobioway Group harnesses the growing power of biotechnology to address society’s biggest challenges. Since its founding in 1992, it has been devoted to the development of a thriving industry within a bioeconomic system, a concept developed by Sinobioway’s founder Aihua Pan.

Encompassing more than 50 subsidiaries, Sinobioway’s businesses span biomedicine, bioagriculture, bioenergy, bioenvironment, bioservice, biomanufacturing, and biointelligence, with more than a dozen locations across China.

The GCHKP and Griffith are also working closely with the Australian Zhongguancun Private Equity & Venture Capital Association to progress opportunities – Zhongguancun is a technology hub in Beijing that has been described as China’s silicon valley.

GCHKP Project Director Di Dixon with Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Ned Pankhurst, Kerry Wang, Secretary General of the Australia Zhongguancun Private Equity & Venture Capital Association and Griffith Enterprise Deputy Director Dr Jens Tampe

Filed Under: BUSINESS, INVEST, TECHNOLOGY

Gold Coast set to be medical software and device hub

GCHKP Project Director Di Dixon with Acting Vice Chancellor Professor Ned Pankhurst and Materialise Australia Business Manager Madeleine McIntyre

World-leading additive manufacturing company Materialise will locate its Australian head-quarters in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP) to create a hub for cutting-edge medical device innovation.

The Belgium-based global company will switch operations from Sydney to the 200-hectare GCHKP to capitalise on Griffith University plans for an $80 million Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Centre (ADaPT), set to commence construction in 2019.

Materialise is a global pioneer of 3D printing technology whose software and services enable researchers, engineers and clinicians to revolutionise patient-specific treatments that help improve and save lives. This makes the GCHKP an ideal location for medical operations, continuing existing partnerships with leading Griffith researchers and expanding collaborations with clinicians at the Gold Coast University and Gold Coast Private hospitals.

The collaboration is the result of extensive discussions between Griffith, the GCHKP Project Office and Materialise over two years, including a trip to the company’s Belgian headquarters to pitch the opportunity and technical links to research capabilities.

The Materialise move is a coup for Queensland and the Gold Coast, according to Griffith University’s Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Ned Pankhurst, especially given the significant growth potential, with the university’s investment in ADaPT paving the way to expand the relationship and explore further research collaboration as a co-located industry partner.

“Materialise is truly a world-class company with 24 offices in 19 countries, and for them to choose to locate in the GCHKP at the ground-up stage signals the potential for a world-leading hub to develop here,” Professor Pankhurst said

We’ve already opened up our ADaPT 1.0 industry showcase facility and Materialise staff will initially be based on campus, alongside our leading researchers who are working in areas such as developing orthopaedic and other medical devices.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate is equally delighted, with the City actively supporting the presence of companies looking to expand operations and contribute to local employment opportunities.

“Medical technology is rapidly advancing and we need the best companies here to carve out our global niche in what will be a huge world-wide market – Materialise is one of the best,” Mayor Tate said.

Materialise Australia Business Manager Madeleine McIntyre said the Gold Coast had the right combination of existing world-class research expertise, skilled graduates and the lifestyle to attract global talent, as well as crucial co-location with clinical facilities.

“We have been the backbone of the 3D printing industry for nearly 3 decades, and have pioneered many leading medical applications of 3D printing. The innovative and collaborative environment provided by the GCHKP will help us to further advance our medical software and services,” Ms McIntyre said.

“Matching our company’s entrepreneurial culture, the GCHKP will be a strong base for Materialise to expand our Australasian footprint and provides a lifestyle advantage for our employees and the future talent we will attract here.”

For GCHKP Project Director Di Dixon, the Materialise move represents the chance to build momentum for ADaPT and the entire precinct well before the first sod is turned by sparking additional interest from associated innovative companies.

“We’ve always said the GCHKP is a long-term project and we’re pleased our Project Office efforts have been able to attract a global player of this calibre even before the first building is constructed,” Ms Dixon said.

“This is our preferred model for development – focusing on areas where we have genuine global niche expertise and attracting aligned industry co-location so we can rapidly translate research to great health and commercial outcomes.”

About Materialise

Headquartered in Belgium, with branches worldwide, Materialise combines the largest group of software developers in the industry with one of the largest 3D printing facilities in the world. For additional information, please visit: www.materialise.com.