Q&A: Matricelf CSO on the Cellino Collaboration, Regenerative Tissue Therapies, and Hope for Patients

Regenerative medicine is on the brink of a major breakthrough. Cellino and Matricelf are collaborating to advance and scale iPSC-derived regenerative therapies for spinal cord injury (SCI)—working together to transform how we restore lost function for patients. By combining Matricelf’s expertise in tissue engineering with Cellino’s AI-driven approach to iPSC manufacturing, this collaboration is paving the way for more scalable, personalized regenerative treatments.

To dive deeper into what this means for the field, we sat down with Tal Dvir, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Matricelf. In this conversation, Tal shares the vision behind Matricelf, why their work with Cellino is so exciting, and—most importantly—how regenerative therapies could change the lives of people living with spinal cord injuries.

Read on for an inside look at what’s next for regenerative medicine and why this moment is so pivotal for the future of patient care.

This interview was edited for clarity and brevity.

Cellino: What inspired you to found Matricelf and pursue spinal cord injury research?

Dvir: In the lab at Tel Aviv University, where Matricelf’s matrix technology was developed, we decided to work on innovative tissue engineering technologies to regenerate the most challenging tissues and organs in the body.

We're working on therapies to cure the diseased heart, brain, kidney, intestine, retina, and injured spinal cord. We were inspired to pursue spinal cord injury research by the urgent need to restore mobility and independence to patients, driven by the profound impact these injuries have on quality of life.

Advances in regenerative medicine, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived therapies, and tissue engineering fuel the hope of developing groundbreaking therapies that could revolutionize the treatment and recovery of spinal cord injury patients.

Cellino: What is the standard of care today for a spinal cord injury patient today?

Dvir: Currently there are no treatments for spinal injury patients. They can undergo rehabilitation or work on maintaining muscle flexibility, but currently there are no technologies that help them actually recover functionality.

Cellino: What most excites you about the Cellino-Matricelf collaboration, and why is it important?

Dvir: Our collaboration can accelerate scalable, consistent, and cost-effective production of high-quality tissues for regenerative medicine. This synergy could drive breakthroughs by combining cutting-edge tissue engineering with advanced automation to streamline workflows and improve reproducibility, which ultimately leads to accelerated development of meaningful therapies for spinal cord injury patients.

Cellino: You mentioned scalability, which we're incredibly focused on at Cellino. Why is scale important to patients??

Dvir: We will eventually want to work at large scale—developing therapies for many patients, in order to change the lives of millions of people. Automation and scalability are extremely important because they enable therapies to be developed more efficiently and at lower cost, to maximize access for patients.?

Cellino: For someone living with spinal cord injury today, what would a regenerative tissue therapy, like what can be enabled through the Matricelf and Cellino collaboration, mean on a practical level for a patient's symptoms and quality of life?

Dvir: It could mean a major change in their life by restoring movement, sensation, and autonomic function. Regenerating a patient’s spinal cord tissue could allow for greater independence in daily activities like walking, dressing, or even breathing without assistance. Beyond physical improvement, it could also enhance their overall quality of life by reducing complications, increasing social participation, and offering renewed hope for the future. It’s an incredibly amazing future—one that we're really proud to build toward with Cellino.?

Cellino: Beyond improved mobility, what are some of the less discussed challenges that spinal cord injury patients face that regenerative medicine could help to address?

Dvir: There are many symptoms that are not often discussed, including chronic pain, loss of bladder and bowel control, sexual dysfunction, and pressure ulcers due to impaired sensation and circulation. Matricelf’s innovative technology could help address these issues by restoring neural connections that regulate organ function, improving tissue repair and physiological stability, and improving patients’ quality of life.?

Cellino: Ten years from now, how do you envision regenerative spinal cord therapies transforming the lives of patients?

Dvir: I think paralyzed patients may be able to regain significant motor and sensory function, through complete neural regeneration and functional tissue integration. These advancements may also restore autonomic functions like bladder control and temperature regulation—and ultimately, independence.?

Cellino: Amazing—let’s jump to 20 years in the future.

Dvir: Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine technologies will revolutionize health care by offering innovative solutions to restore lost function, not just of the spinal cord, but other tissues as well. I think we’ll be able to heal damaged tissues for patients with previously untreatable conditions. This is the promise of transforming medicine from symptom management to true biological repair and regeneration.

Cellino: What do you most want people to take away from this conversation??

Dvir: The future of regenerative medicine is fascinating and exciting! It will help us to find solutions to most any disease and any injury in the future. And everyone—especially sick or injured people—should have hope.

For more details on Cellino's collaboration with Matricelf, please read the full press release here.