The University of Houston’s Technology Bridge is pleased to announce the addition of FibroBiologics, a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing fibroblast-based therapeutic cures for chronic diseases, as the newest member of the UH innovation ecosystem.
“We are ecstatic to have FibroBiologics here in our community,” said Darayle Canada, Program Director, Startup Development Operations. “Their choice to join the Technology Bridge community speaks volumes about the flourishing ecosystem we have cultivated, attracting promising startups that crave an environment conducive to growth and innovation. Their presence will not only bolster our position as a forefront innovation incubator but will also inspire and motivate our community members.”
Based in Houston, FibroBiologics is a regenerative medicine company that aims to represent the next generation of medical advancement in cell therapy through fibroblasts, which are one of two cell types – the other being stem cells – that help form connective tissue that supports and connects other tissues and organs within the body. Obtained through a simple skin biopsy, fibroblasts secrete collagen proteins that help maintain the structural integrity of tissues and play a key role in healing wounds.
“The beautiful and spacious campus of the University of Houston’s Technology Bridge, along with the availability of ample lab space for our expanding company, access to University of Houston core facilities, and potential for collaboration with the university researchers, convinced us to make UHTB home for our research endeavors,” said Hamid Khoja, Chief Scientific Officer of FibroBiologics.
Founded by noted biopharma inventor Pete O’Heeron in 2021, FibroBiologics recognized that fibroblasts appeared to be a more effective, cost-efficient and unheralded asset in the field of regenerative medicine when compared to stem cells.
"(Fibroblasts) can essentially do everything a stem cell can do, only they can do it better," O'Heeron said in a previous interview with InnovationMap. "We've done tests in the lab and we've seen them outperform stem cells by a low of 50 percent to a high of about 220 percent on different disease paths. With fibroblasts being the most common cell in the human body, you have to assume it’s involved in every process of the human body. There's literally no biological process in the body where fibroblasts are not involved."
Since its inception, FibroBiologics has exhibited some promise as a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) and degenerative disc issues. FibroBiologics holds more than 150+ globally issued patents or patents pending across multiple clinical tracks, including disc degeneration, orthopedics, multiple sclerosis, wound healing, reversing organ involution and cancer.