Winston Salem Times

It might sound like something out of "The Jetsons," but the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) recently entered a partnership that has the potential of taking the manufacturing of regenerative medicine out of this world.

WFIRM, Axiom Space and the RegenMed Development Organization ReMDO are teaming up for the project, Greater Winston-Salem Inc. reported. WFIRM is noted for applying scientific discoveries to medical treatments.

"This partnership paves the way for an entire commercial industry on board Axiom’s space station that will enable our scientific research teams to advance biomanufacturing to bring new treatments that cannot be developed on Earth and treatments for conditions that affect the human body when exposed to the harsh environment of space travel," Dr. Anthony Atala, director of WFIRM, told Greater Winston-Salem Inc. "We can literally take the regenerative medicine field to a whole new level." 

Axiom, which is constructing the world's first commercial space station, will provide the lab space.

"We are very pleased to establish this collaboration and look forward to working together with this world-renowned team to build and expand the commercial space economy for biomedical applications in low Earth orbit." Christian Maender, director of in-space manufacturing and research at Axiom Space, told Greater Winston-Salem Inc. "Regenerative medicine has been identified as an important focus area for commercial space initiatives that has the opportunity to provide new hope for breakthrough treatments and aligns with our mission to improve life on Earth and foster possibilities beyond it."

As an organization that is focuses on scaling up and automating the manufacture of regenerative medicine, ReMDO will do its part, too.

"As a member of the Innovation Accelerator, Axiom Space brings exciting capabilities that exist nowhere else in the world," Josh Hunsberger, ReMDO's chief technology officer, told Greater Winston-Salem Inc. "In addition to our initial focus, we anticipate other opportunities will result from this collaboration that will lead to regenerative medicine breakthroughs."