The Problem
Volumetric muscle loss (VML) refers to a significant decrease in skeletal muscle tissue that the body is unable to naturally repair, causing significant functional impairment. Due to the sudden and severe nature of traumatic injury, an estimated 90,000 patients every year experience volumetric muscle loss. When left untreated, VML is responsible for substantial morbidity, pain, and disability.
Current clinical procedures, including amputation or muscle transfer from another area of the body, cannot fully restore function and strength in the affected area. Scaffolds—a biomaterial that can substitute for lost muscle by supporting cellular growth—have offered a treatment option but have struggled to adhere to tissue, resulting in minimal muscle regeneration. To improve long-term outcomes for VML patients, a solution is needed that will bind to damaged tissue, foster tissue growth, and assist the body in regenerating muscle.
The Approach
Indranil Sinha, MD, a plastic surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, received a 2018 Stepping Strong Breakthrough Award for developing a two-fold technique that utilizes enhanced scaffolds and stem cells to promote tissue growth and muscle repair.
Dr. Sinha and his team created a custom-built “pen-printer” that can directly apply 3D gelatin-based hydrogel scaffolds onto a VML-affected muscle. This handheld device allows for scaffolds to be placed on wounds anywhere in the body, mimic existing tissue, and minimize the time for traumatic VML treatment. The printer eliminates the need for sutures, expensive imaging equipment, and even surgeons in high-pressure time-sensitive situations. To address historical concerns with scaffolds, Dr. Sinha’s enhanced biomaterial adheres to tissue after being exposed to blue light and has higher porosity to encourage tissue growth. Paired with stem cells that can regenerate muscle, Dr. Sinha’s method improves functionality and long-term recovery for patients who have experienced VML after traumatic injury.
What’s Next?
Building on the success of the Stepping Strong Innovator Award, Dr. Sinha co-founded a company with collaborators from the University of Connecticut and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that produces highly porous scaffolds for patient use. The team has filed a patent for the pen printer to treat musculoskeletal injuries, has received federal funding to further advance this work, and has produced several publications in the field of tissue bioengineering resulting from traumatic injury.
