Venous ulcers, also known as varicose ulcers, are chronic wounds caused by poor blood circulation, typically in the lower limbs. They are among the most common chronic wounds in older adults, particularly in patients with chronic venous insufficiency. These lesions are often painful, recurrent, and difficult to heal, severely impacting patients’ quality of life and placing a considerable burden on healthcare systems. The current standard of care is based on compression therapy but lacks regenerative treatments that can effectively restore damaged tissue.
Researchers have developed a topical dressing composed of a cellular matrix that integrates allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), embedded within a fibrin-based scaffold enriched with hyaluronic acid. These components form a stable gelatinous mesh that is applied directly over the wound bed, delivering therapeutic agents that promote tissue regeneration. The MSCs used do not express the histocompatibility complex, allowing their allogeneic use without inducing immune reactivity in the patient. The therapeutic effect is based on the anti-inflammatory, analgesic, angiogenic, and regenerative properties of MSCs, which promote cell proliferation, vascularization, and healing of chronic wounds such as venous ulcers.
The technology has been authorized by the AEMPS for evaluation in an ongoing Phase I/II pilot clinical trial (NCT05962931). The study is multicenter, carried out in four primary care centers, and involves 20 adult patients, 10 with Grade III venous ulcers (Widmer scale) and 10 controls.
Benefits:
- It has a non-invasive topical application, avoiding other procedures.
- It promotes the healing of chronic, hard-to-heal wounds through a combination of anti-inflammatory, analgesic, angiogenic, and regenerative effects.
- Bioactive cellular composition with high stability, biocompatibility, and no immunological reaction.
- It may have potential future applications in other chronic wounds.
- It is easy to use for clinical users thanks to its standardized format and direct application protocol.
The represented institution is looking for a collaboration that leads to the commercial exploitation of the presented invention. The institution’s preferred scenario involves reaching an agreement for technology transfer through either sale or licensing (exclusive or non-exclusive) and collaborating in technology development for practical applications.
Institution: Universidad de Granada (UGR) and Fundación Pública Andaluza para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Andalucía Oriental (FIBAO)
TRL: 6
Protection Status: The technology is protected under a patent application (PCT/EP2025/050822), published on July 24, 2025.
Contacto: Elisa Sáenz / e.saenz@viromii.com