The Brazilian startup HAP Plaster is developing a biomaterial that could revolutionize the healthcare sector. Made from plaster the company suggests that this compound could be used in surgeries and other procedures to regenerate bones and even teeth.
Using an innovative process, the company managed to develop a type of material that is fully compatible with the human organism: calcium hydroxyapatite .
Created in 2022, the startup is part of the Porto Digital Europa incubator, which supports the internationalization of technological businesses. To enter the market, HAP Gesso seeks to raise R$1 million.
Currently, the incubator operates in the north of Portugal, a region chosen because it is in the second largest consumer market for calcium hydroxyapatite in the world, Europe (only the United States is ahead).
Plaster bone
Calcium hydroxyapatite is a material obtained from a process carried out with high quality, high purity gypsum, extracted from the Araripe region, in Pernambuco.
To facilitate the production of bones, the main component of gypsum, calcium sulfate, is converted into hydroxyapatite.
Based on this, calcium hydroxyapatite can be applied in various areas of medicine, such as orthopedics, dentistry, aesthetics, veterinary, among other specialties.
The startup claims that the material has the potential to contribute to all procedures aimed at bone and dental recovery .
In a message to the Público Brasil website, the president of HAP Gesso, Ceissa Campos Costa, informed that tests are being conducted both in Brazil and Europe, due to differences in regulatory processes.
The expectation is that Europeans will have access to biomaterial at the beginning of 2025.
“We now need certification [sanitária] and suitability of the biomaterial, proving that it complies with European health standards”, Ceissa states.
Firstly, the tests are carried out on animals and, in the second phase of the project, they will be carried out on humans; The process for both is similar.
The Federal University of Vale do São Francisco (Univasf), in Pernambuco, is responsible for conducting the experiments in the national territory.
The president of HAP Gesso explains that the Araripe region is responsible for 95% of plaster production in Brazil.
Univasf, in fact, is around 200 kilometers from the factory where the plaster for the tests is produced, in the city of Araripina.
“We are [uma empresa] dedicated to improving the harmonization, support and mobility of the human body using synthetic calcium hydroxyapatite. Our mission is to produce innovative, biocompatible and osteoconductive biomaterials to promote bone health, improving the quality of life and mobility of users in dental and orthopedic procedures”, the company explains on its official website.
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This content was originally published in Brazilian startup creates way to transform plaster into human bone on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
