Nicolaas Duneas

Nicolaas Duneas is a South African biochemist and developer of osteogenic biomaterials.[1][2] He is the co-founder (with Nuno Pires) and CEO of Altis Biologics.[3][4] The company developed the first injectable treatment for bone injuries that require grafting by using a pig-based growth material.[3]

Nicolaas Duneas
Born1972 (age 50–51)
NationalitySouth African
Alma materUniversity of the Witwatersrand
Known forbone regeneration
Scientific career
InstitutionsAltis Biologics
ThesisSynergistic Interactions of Bone Morphogenetic Protein and Transforming Growth Factor-β in Bone Induction and Regeneration (1998)
Doctoral advisorUgo Ripamonti
WebsiteAltis Biologics

Education and career
X-ray of spinal fusion

Duneas received a BSc in biochemistry in 1993 from the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) and he holds a MBA from WITS.[4] He also holds a Ph.D. from the WITS faculty of medicine.[3] From 1993 until 1997 he worked as research officer for the University of the Witwatersrand.[4]

In 2002 he founded Altis Biologics (a biotech company) together with Nuno Pires.[5][6] Duneas was appointed CEO of Altis Biologics in 2002.[4]

The company focusses on bone regeneration.[5] Traditionally, when repairing a severe bone break involving a void, new bone is taken from the hip and donated to the required site. This results in permanent disfigurement of the hip and complications such as hip displacement, buttock anaesthesia and severe infections during surgery. Altis Biologics developed a method to use pig bone which had been altered to make it human compatible and also make it injectable, removing the need for surgery.[3] The method is particularly suitable for use in spinal fusion procedures.[6]

The research for this method began in 1994 and included pre-clinical and clinical studies (in collaboration with universities) that finally culminated in a product that was patented in 2006. In 2012 the method was approved by the largest South African medical aid (Discovery Health) and since then more than 1000 patients have been implanted with the bone graft. The tissue used in the bone grafts is manufactured in South Africa, removing the previous need to import bone graft material from the USA and Europe.[3]

From 2008 until 2010 Duneas also served as managing director of Altis Biologics. He has remained CEO since 2002.[4]

In 2014 Duneas was interviewed by Alec Hogg for The Rational Perspective (hosted on BizNews) on Sizing up African Technology Opportunities.[7] At the 2017 Healthcare Innovation Summit Africa he presented on bone regeneration technologies.[8]

Awards

In 2014 Duneas and Nuno Pires were awarded the Innovation Prize for Africa for the Altis Osteogenic Bone Matrix. This was the first injectable treatment for injuries requiring bone grafts using a porcine-derived regenerative biological implant. Duneas and Pires received US$100 000.[1][9]

Selected publications
  • Limited chondro-osteogenesis by recombinant human transforming growth factor-beta 1 in calvarial defects of adult baboons (Papio ursinus). (July 1996)[10]
  • Recombinant transforming growth factor-beta1 induces endochondral bone in the baboon and synergizes with recombinant osteogenic protein-1 (bone morphogenetic protein-7) to initiate rapid bone formation. (October 1997)[11]
  • Transforming growth factor-beta 1: induction of bone morphogenetic protein genes expression during endochondral bone formation in the baboon, and synergistic interaction with osteogenic protein-1 (BMP-7). (1998)[12]
  • PubMed: Tissue morphogenesis and regeneration by bone morphogenetic proteins. (January 1998)[13]
  • Tissue Engineering of Bne, From Concept To Market (April 2, 2008)[14]
  • High yield isolation of BMP-2 from bone and in vivo activity of a combination of BMP-2/TGF-β1.(2012)[15]
  • Enhanced activity of demineralised bone matrix augmented with xenogeneic bone morphogenetic protein complex in rats. (2012 August)[16]
  • Physicochemical modification of kafirin microparticles and their ability to bind bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), for application as a biomaterial. (August 29, 2012)[17]

References
  1. "Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2015 now open". next billion. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  2. "Altis Biologics (PTY) Ltd". www.altisbiologics.com. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  3. Mpondo, Pulane (3 July 2017). "Altis Biologics | The Innovation Hub". The innovation hub. City of Tshwane. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  4. "Nicolaas Duneas - AngelList". angel.co. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  5. Gaylard, Alison; Urban, Boris (6 March 2016). "Altis Biologics: From Labs to Riches?". SAGE Business Cases - WITS Business School. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  6. Looney, William (March 2015). "BioScience Bounty: Africa's Emerging Geography of Ideas" (PDF). Pharmaceutical Executive. 35 (3): 39. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  7. "Sizing up African technology opportunities: Stafford Masie, Nicolaas Duneas". The Rational Perspective. BizNews Africa. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  8. "Dr Nic Duneas Discusses Bone Regeneration Technologies From Africa - YouTube". YouTube.com. IT News Africa. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  9. "US$150 000 cash awarded to Africa's brightest innovators - CNBC Africa". CNBC Africa. 1 August 2014. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  10. Ripamonti, U; Bosch, C; van den Heever, B; Duneas, N; Melsen, B; Ebner, R (1996). "Limited chondro-osteogenesis by recombinant human transforming growth factor-beta 1 in calvarial defects of adult baboons (Papio ursinus)". J Bone Miner Res. 11 (7): 938–45. doi:10.1002/jbmr.5650110710. PMID 8797114. S2CID 35150016.
  11. Ripamonti, U; Duneas, N; Van Den Heever, B; Bosch, C; Crooks, J (1997). "Recombinant transforming growth factor-beta1 induces endochondral bone in the baboon and synergizes with recombinant osteogenic protein-1 (bone morphogenetic protein-7) to initiate rapid bone formation". J Bone Miner Res. 12 (10): 1584–95. doi:10.1359/jbmr.1997.12.10.1584. PMID 9333119. S2CID 22639873.
  12. Duneas, N; Crooks, J; Ripamonti, U (1998). "Transforming growth factor-beta 1: induction of bone morphogenetic protein genes expression during endochondral bone formation in the baboon, and synergistic interaction with osteogenic protein-1 (BMP-7)". Growth Factors. 15 (4): 259–77. doi:10.3109/08977199809017482. PMID 9714911.
  13. Ripamonti, U; Duneas, N (1998). "Tissue morphogenesis and regeneration by bone morphogenetic proteins". Plast Reconstr Surg. 101 (1): 227–39. doi:10.1097/00006534-199801000-00040. PMID 9427942.
  14. "Altis Biologics (Pty) Ltd TISSUE ENGINEERING OF BONE" (PDF). BioSA. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  15. Sibiya, SJ; Olivier, EI; Duneas, N (2013). "High yield isolation of BMP-2 from bone and in vivo activity of a combination of BMP-2/TGF-β1". J Biomed Mater Res A. 101 (3): 641–6. doi:10.1002/jbm.a.34365. PMID 22927042.
  16. Mohangi, GU; Rothman, B; van Zyl, AW; Duneas, N (2012). "Enhanced activity of demineralised bone matrix augmented with xenogeneic bone morphogenetic protein complex in rats". South African Dental Journal. 67 (7): 354–8. PMID 23951792.
  17. Anyango, JO; Duneas, N; Taylor, JR; Taylor, J (2012). "Physicochemical modification of kafirin microparticles and their ability to bind bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), for application as a biomaterial" (PDF). J Agric Food Chem. 60 (34): 8419–26. doi:10.1021/jf302533e. hdl:2263/19896. PMID 22867133.
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