Vericel Corp. (VCEL)

[realfast95]

same story, but covered by CBS with video of vericel lab

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/massachusetts-company-growing-san-antonio-babys-skin

Over 1,800 miles away from Jabari Gray, experts in Cambridge, Massachusetts are growing the San Antonio infant's own skin.

"We know that what were doing is very personal. We're taking somebody's cells and were growing them so they can be used to help them treat them," said Dr. Jon Hopper, Chief Medical Officer at Vericel Corporation.

The 4-month-old is being treated at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. He was born just three pounds, missing large patches of skin throughout his body. His chance of survival was low.

Vericel Corporation, a bio-pharmaceutical company, usually treats burn victims but Texas doctors thought they may be able to help in Jabari's rare case.

"Our job is exactly the same. We're taking skin cells from biopsy, growing them into sheets so the surgeons can then place them back on the patient," said Dr. Hopper.

Experts received a biopsy of the baby's skin a short time ago and already are developing sheets of it.

"They grow and divide making a very thin sheet, about 4-8 cells thick, across the bottom of flask we grow them in," said Dr. Hopper.

The manufacturing associates keep close watch on the cells as they grow.

"We constantly monitoring the health of the cells under the microscope - that's a daily task," said Dr. Hopper.

The skin cells are fed with amino acids, nutrients and other items crucial to keep them alive.

"It's a very labor intensive process and it requires really surgical precision with some of the operations," said Dr. Hopper.

The process takes about 2-3 weeks. The cells are prepared and packaged to be sent out within 48 hours of the surgery.

"Two days before his planned surgery date, that's when the sheets of his skin cells will be prepared so then they can be transported to the hospital the day before his surgery," said Dr. Hopper.

The sheets of skin cells with be flown on an aircraft in a temperature-controlled container to Houston.