Home
Our work
Our services
Our team
Our friends
Our cost
Payments

New centre to repair damaged nerves and turn bionics into business

Beta SP footage, animations and graphics available.

• Background information
• Biographies

  • Prof MJ Cook

  • Russell Tait

  • Robert Trenberth

  • Michael Murphy

• Photos and animation

A woven plastic tube infused with chemicals that encourage new nerve growth may allow patients with severed nerves in their arms and legs to regain the full use of their limbs.

The thin tubular scaffold is being developed by Bionic Technologies Australia which was opened today by the Hon John Brumby, the Victorian Treasurer and Minister for Innovation.

The new device has the potential to help people hurt in accidents, or patients who lose nerves and tissue during cancer surgery.

“This exciting idea stems from Australia’s leadership in bionic technologies. It is one of the key developments at our new centre, which is focused on quickly and effectively bringing new technologies to market.”

The idea is to stitch a uniquely designed plastic scaffold to each end of a severed nerve in the arm or leg. Chemicals impregnated into the scaffold would encourage the neurons to grow more quickly and in the right direction, ultimately rejoining the severed nerve. The tubular scaffold will be biodegradable, designed to break down in the body in about nine months.

Dr Tait praised the State Government for its $6 million support for Bionic Technologies Australia.

Each of the centre’s partners is contributing to the new nerve repair device. It’s made from a biodegradable polymer developed by Melbourne company PolyNovo.

CSIRO Textiles in Geelong have used the plastic to weave a complex design that will guide the nerves in the right direction.

The Bionic Ear Institute and the University of Wollongong have contributed technology to encourage the nerves to regrow. And St Vincent’s Hospital have contributed the clinical expertise.

St Vincent’s neurosurgeon Michael Murphy said current treatments to repair severed nerves were unsatisfactory. “You can’t stretch severed nerves. You can do a graft, taking nerves from elsewhere in the body, but the end result is often poor,” Associate Professor Murphy said.

“There is a limited time to get nerves to grow, or the muscles thin and die. If the tubular scaffold works, it will speed up repair and improve the outcome.” Associate Professor Murphy said the tubular scaffold could be used in tens of thousands of operations each year in the United States alone. “It could be used on patients who suffered severe cuts, such as those from a knife or circular saw, or patients with trauma or crush injuries from a car accident or an object falling on them.”

Unveiling the new technology at the official launch of Bionic Technologies Australia, chief executive Dr Russell Tait said development of the polymer scaffold was an important first step in fabrication of the complete device, which they intend to complete and test in rats before the end of 2007.

Mr Tait said the centre is also working on a way to tackle epileptic fits; and an infection control treatment for bionic implants.

“We plan to be close to industry, so our devices can be brought to market as quickly as possible.”

Media contacts:  Sarah Brooker 0413 332 489 sarah@scienceinpublic.com; Jo Gajewski, 0429 388 822 jo@scienceinpublic.com

Biographies:

Prof MJ Cook

	Currently Professor and Director of Neurology at St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Prof Cook is a neurologist specialising in the treatment of epilepsy. After completing specialist training in Melbourne, he undertook an MD thesis at Queen Square, London.  He returned to St.Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne to continue his interest in epilepsy, and has formed a large research group with a broad range of interests across epilepsy, neuromuscular disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease.  Clinical and basic science research concerning Epilepsy and Neuromuscular disease is carried out in the department, and has recently extended to neurophysiological studies in kindling models of epilepsy.  Research grants are held across all of these areas, including NH&MRC and ARC funding currently.  Apart from his responsibilities within the hospital, Professor Cook is an editor of Epilepsia, sits on several advisory boards and is the chairman of Neurosciences Victoria Scientific Review Committee.
(Click on image to download high res version)
Contact: p. +61 3 9288 3068 e.  mark@neurology.net.au

Russell Tait

	Russell Tait is currently chief executive officer of Bionic Technologies Australia.  He has a passion for converting Australian based science into economic outcomes.  Consequently, he has gained extensive experience in research management, business development, contract negotiation, licensing and patent management.  His major achievements include inventor and lead scientist in development of Mayne Pharma’s unique ready-to-use solution of Pamidronate Injection, leading the business team that published the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, and one of the originators involved in the creation of AVIPEP Pty Ltd. His twenty-year career started with experience in the USA as a post-doctoral scientist at Kansas University.  On return to Australia he worked with the pharmaceutical companies Glaxo Australia and then F.H. Faulding & Co. in various research management and business development roles.  Prior to joining Bionic Technologies Australia he held the position of Director, Business Development and Commercialisation for CSIRO’s Division of Health Sciences and Nutrition.  As well as his patent management experience, Russell has been an inventor on a number of patent applications from at least two different past employers. Russell holds both a pharmacy degree (Victorian College of Pharmacy), Ph.D in pharmaceutical chemistry and an AGSM MBA.
(Click on image to download high res version)
Contact: Bionic Technologies Australia Phone: +61 3 9667 7545 Email: rtait@bionicear.org

Robert Trenberth

	Robert Trenberth is a professional non executive director and is currently chairman of a number of companies.  One focus of his work is to create new technology based businesses and the other is to assist more mature private companies to grow revenues and profits while developing governance processes of high integrity.   His thirty-year career in business includes serving as an Associate with McKinsey & Co; Executive Assistant to the Managing Director of Carlton & United Breweries, Managing Director of Ajax Fasteners Ltd and Chief Executive of Ajax McPherson’s Ltd, an international publicly listed manufacturing group.  Robert’s career also includes five years as Deputy Secretary of the Federal Department of Industry Science and Technology with roles in policy development and delivery of major programs. As Deputy Secretary of DIST Robert led the team that created AusIndustry and served as its first Chief Executive. Robert has served as chairman of CSIRO’s Manufacturing Sector Advisory Committee and remains a member of its Advisory Council on Manufacturing.  Presently Robert is a director of the CRC for Polymers, Chairman of the Australian Sustainable Industries Research Centre, Chairman of the National Stroke Research, Institute, an NH&MRC Centre of Research Excellence, and a director of the related National Stroke Foundation.  He is Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Foundation for Young Australians and a member of the Audit Committee of the Victorian College of the Arts. Robert holds the degree of Master of Business Administration from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration and degrees in engineering from the Universities of Melbourne and Waterloo, in Canada. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
(Click on image to download high res version)
Contact: Polymers CRC Ltd Phone: +61 3 9518 0400 Email: polymers@crcp.com.au

Michael Murphy

	Michael Murphy is Director of Neurosurgery, and Program Director of Surgery and Specialist Services at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne Australia. He is a member of the Hospital Executive and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Melbourne. He is also Vice-President of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia.   His main clinical areas of interest and subspecialisation are epilepsy, tumour and neurovascular surgery.  He initially trained in Australia, completing his postgraduate training in the UK and USA.  He worked as a Chief Resident at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA and then completed a cerebrovascular fellowship at the Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas, Texas. He was awarded a Doctor of Medicine by the University of Melbourne in 2003.   He is current research interests included looking at peripheral nerve/spinal cord regeneration, intracranial devices for seizure control and the serial analysis of gene expression in the epileptic mouse model.   He is the author of over 40 peer reviewed journal articles and has been involved in over 50 meeting presentations. He has previously, and currently has several postgraduate fellows working with him, two of whom have been involved in the STI projects.
(Click on image to download high res version)
Contact: Department of Neurosurgery, St. Vincent's Hospital Phone: +61 3 9288 2211

Photos and Animation

High quality beta SP footage is available. Below are stills of an animation sequence depicting nerve regeneration after damage. Please contact us if you wish to have access to the full footage.

1 - Body Wide

2 - Body Nerve

 3 - Nerve Damage

4 - Severed Nerve

5 - Mesh in Place

6 - Mesh in Place Cut

7 - Nerve Growth 1

8 - Nerve Growth 2

9 - Nerve Growth 3

10 - Nerve Growth 4

General enquiries: please contact the people and organisations mentioned in our media releases

Media: for more information please contact Niall Byrne, Science in Public, niall@scienceinpublic.com.au, ph +61 (3) 9398 1416.