CWRU Lab Spins Collagen Into Surgical Thread

A Cleveland startup founded out of a Case Western Reserve University lab is blending synthetic sutures with collagen monofilaments to enhance integration between the suture and host tissue.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 1:42am

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An abstract, geometric painting in soft earth tones depicting the intricate, spiraling structure of collagen fibers, conveying the natural strength and order of this fundamental biological building block.CollaMedix's collagen-based surgical products aim to better integrate with the body's natural healing processes compared to traditional synthetic materials.Cleveland Today

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, building tendons, ligaments, skin, and bone. However, when surgeons repair injuries like a torn rotator cuff, they typically use synthetic sutures that are foreign to the body. A Cleveland-based startup called CollaMedix, founded out of a Case Western Reserve University lab, is developing a hybrid collagen suture that aims to better integrate with the host tissue and promote healing.

Why it matters

CollaMedix's technology could provide a more natural and effective solution for surgical repairs compared to traditional synthetic sutures. By leveraging the body's own collagen, the startup's products may enhance tissue regrowth and strengthen the repaired area in ways that current synthetic materials cannot.

The details

The CollaMedix technology emerged from the Orthopaedic Bioengineering Laboratory at the Case School of Engineering, led by Ozan Akkus, PhD. Akkus' lab has developed methods to compact and align collagen fibers into thread strong enough to withstand surgical handling and physiological loading. CollaMedix licenses that process from CWRU and now manufactures the hybrid collagen sutures in a facility near campus. The company expects to bring its first product, a collagen suture for rotator cuff and tendon repairs, to market this year. A second device, a bioregenerative resorbable mesh for treating stress urinary incontinence in women, is also in development.

  • CollaMedix will begin its first human trials at Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, and Duke this spring.
  • The company expects to bring its first product, a collagen suture for rotator cuff and tendon repairs, to market this year.

The players

Ozan Akkus

The Kent H. Smith Professor at the Case School of Engineering, Akkus has spent two decades studying how mechanical forces shape biological tissue. His lab developed the methods to compact and align collagen fibers that are now licensed by CollaMedix.

CollaMedix

A Cleveland-based startup founded out of a Case Western Reserve University lab, CollaMedix is blending synthetic sutures with collagen monofilaments to enhance integration between the suture and host tissue.

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What they’re saying

“At CWRU, my lab conducts basic science research. In one of our projects, we discovered we can process collagen to compact, condense, and align the fibers better than before. Collagen is the building block of our body; it constitutes load-bearing tissues such as skin, tendons, and bones.”

— Ozan Akkus, Professor, Case Western Reserve University

“CWRU is very strong in healthcare and engineering, and the university cares about its faculty and students. I felt I was getting good feedback and was in a good environment to collaborate with people from other schools and local hospitals.”

— Ozan Akkus, Professor, Case Western Reserve University

What’s next

CollaMedix will submit the premarket notification to the FDA for its first product this year. Next year, the company is gearing up for its collagen sling implants to be applied to the first cohort of women in three clinical trial centers under an investigational device exemption.

The takeaway

CollaMedix's collagen-based sutures and implants could provide a more natural and effective solution for surgical repairs compared to traditional synthetic materials, potentially enhancing tissue regrowth and strengthening the repaired area in ways that current options cannot.