Using peptide-based IP licensed from the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston-based biotech start-up FirstString Research is developing and commercializing therapeutics for scar prevention and tissue regeneration. Initially aimed at preventing or reducing scars from surgical wounds, the technology may have wide-ranging applications. The company’s proprietary therapies modulate intercellular communication to significantly reduce the development of scar tissue while improving the body’s ability to produce healthy, functional cells. Its lead compound, ACT I, has shown efficacy in many tissue types, including the skin, spinal cord, and internal organs. The platform technology has numerous potential applications, according to Gautam Ghatnekar, PhD, the company’s president and CEO. The first application as a topical gel to prevent or reduce scarring from surgical wounds is “low hanging fruit,” he says. Based on consistent and positive early results, FirstString has already received regulatory approval in Europe to enter clinical phase testing of the gel. The company also has seen good preclinical data in spinal cord injury and cardiac applications, and its next focus is in the area of macular degeneration. Since its founding in 2005, the four-employee company has raised $4 million in equity funding, according to Ghatnekar.<\/p>\n