Biostage, Inc. announced the publication of a paper in the peer-reviewed Journal of Biomechanics, describing a study investigating the mechanical strength of regenerated esophageal tissues. The Biostage Esophageal Implant (previously known as Cellspan Esophageal Implant) stimulates the regeneration of new tissue to repair the esophagus following segmental resection of the thoracic esophagus. Using a porcine model, the paper in the Journal of Biomechanics describes a study that tested the mechanical strength of the newly developed tissue as well as the flanking native tissue using a probe-burst pressure test on explanted tissues at three time points post-implantation.

The BEI bridged the proximal and distal native esophageal ends to restore the conduit by stimulating a regeneration process that progressed from a fibrovascular scar at 30-days to a fully epithelialized lumen at 90-days, followed by submucosal regeneration and regeneration of a 'laminated' adventitia with smooth muscle development in the 365-day cohort. The burst strength of the regenerated tissues at all three time points were comparable to the native tissue flanking the implant and the overall pressure required to burst through the tissue increased with increasing time post-surgery.