Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine
The Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM) Consortium, led by the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, is a collaborative effort involving over 30 academic institutions and industry partners. The consortium focuses on advancing regenerative medicine solutions for battlefield injuries, aiming to improve the lives of wounded service members, veterans, and the general public. With a $40 million, five-year award from the Defense Health Agency, AFIRM is dedicated to developing clinical therapies in areas such as craniofacial regeneration, extremity regeneration, genitourinary/lower abdomen, skin and wound healing, on-demand blood, and cellular therapies for trauma.
Industries
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Products
Lyophilized platelet-mimetic nanoparticle for hemostatic resuscitation
A lyophilized nanoparticle construct that mimics platelet adhesive/aggregatory functions, designed for reconstitution and use in ex vivo transfusion models and far-forward hemostatic resuscitation.
Intravenous peptide therapy under Phase 2a evaluation for thermal burns
An intravenously delivered therapeutic undergoing a Phase 2a open-label study to assess safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in adults with limited total body surface area thermal burns, intended to reduce burn progression and improve healing.
Human amnion membrane product for prehospital burn treatment
An amnion membrane-based biological dressing evaluated for immediate and delayed application to prevent burn conversion, accelerate wound healing, and reduce infection in prehospital or austere environments.
Modular prefabricated ceramic scaffold system for craniofacial reconstruction
Prefabricated modular scaffold modules using beta-tricalcium phosphate designed for sterile, intuitive assembly into defect-specific geometries in resource-limited settings, with an AI-assisted interface for surgical planning and assembly.
Decellularized muscle fiber fragment injection platform (off-the-shelf)
A lyophilizable, cell-free muscle-fragment product for injection to restore muscle mass and function in rotator cuff and pelvic floor injuries, designed for ambient stability and point-of-care reconstitution.
Stem cell secretome-derived recombinant protein therapy for acute kidney injury
A defined recombinant protein therapeutic selected from stem cell secretome analyses, formulated as a lyophilized product intended to prevent progression of renal damage and facilitate recovery in acute kidney injury models.
Lyophilized platelet-mimetic nanoparticle for hemostatic resuscitation
A lyophilized nanoparticle construct that mimics platelet adhesive/aggregatory functions, designed for reconstitution and use in ex vivo transfusion models and far-forward hemostatic resuscitation.
Intravenous peptide therapy under Phase 2a evaluation for thermal burns
An intravenously delivered therapeutic undergoing a Phase 2a open-label study to assess safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in adults with limited total body surface area thermal burns, intended to reduce burn progression and improve healing.
Human amnion membrane product for prehospital burn treatment
An amnion membrane-based biological dressing evaluated for immediate and delayed application to prevent burn conversion, accelerate wound healing, and reduce infection in prehospital or austere environments.
Modular prefabricated ceramic scaffold system for craniofacial reconstruction
Prefabricated modular scaffold modules using beta-tricalcium phosphate designed for sterile, intuitive assembly into defect-specific geometries in resource-limited settings, with an AI-assisted interface for surgical planning and assembly.
Decellularized muscle fiber fragment injection platform (off-the-shelf)
A lyophilizable, cell-free muscle-fragment product for injection to restore muscle mass and function in rotator cuff and pelvic floor injuries, designed for ambient stability and point-of-care reconstitution.
Stem cell secretome-derived recombinant protein therapy for acute kidney injury
A defined recombinant protein therapeutic selected from stem cell secretome analyses, formulated as a lyophilized product intended to prevent progression of renal damage and facilitate recovery in acute kidney injury models.
Services
Consortium program management and translational acceleration
Coordination of multi-site academic and industry projects, funding allocation, results-focused project milestones, and facilitation of partnerships to accelerate clinical translation.
Consortium program management and translational acceleration
Coordination of multi-site academic and industry projects, funding allocation, results-focused project milestones, and facilitation of partnerships to accelerate clinical translation.
Expertise Areas
- Regenerative medicine translational research
- Clinical trial management for early-phase studies
- Tissue engineering and scaffold development
- Biomaterials and implantable constructs
Key Technologies
- 3D bioprinting and biofabrication
- Lyophilization for biologics
- Decellularized extracellular matrix materials
- Beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffold modules