Press Releases

October 26, 2005
Stratatech Awarded $168,000 NIH Grant

Stratatech Corporation has received a $168,000 Phase I SBIR Grant from the National Institute on Aging. This Grant will allow Stratatech to continue the development of cell-based gene therapy products for the treatment of chronic skin wounds, such as diabetic, venous stasis and pressure ulcers, which are particularly problematic for the aged population. These ulcers impact an elderly patient's quality of life, often resulting in serious complications such as pain, infection, and the potentially devastating consequence of amputation. It is estimated that in the United States alone, millions of people annually suffer from chronic ulcers, and that number is growing as the population ages.

Chronic ulcers often are complicated by poor vascularization, which contributes to poor wound healing. Stratatech is working to develop human skin substitutes which will stimulate the in-growth of blood vessels into chronic wounds, thereby hastening their healing.

Stratatech, which currently has 27 employees, was established in 2000 and currently operates within the MGE Innovation Center in University Research Park in Madison, WI. In addition to its flagship product, StrataGraft™ skin tissue for the treatment of burn victims, Stratatech is developing a portfolio of engineered skin tissue products that are genetically modified to promote the healing of chronic wounds, such as diabetic ulcers, venous stasis ulcers and pressure ulcers (bedsores). Stratatech’s products are based on a patented, unique source of pathogen-free human skin cells that was identified at the University of Wisconsin.