Engineered Tissue Solutions (ETS) Wound Care
Reimagining Healing with the Power of Mirragen’s Bioactive Glass Technology

An innovative wound care company, Engineered Tissue Solutions (ETS), is redefining complex and chronic wound healing with borate-based bioactive glass technology. The company has developed a synthetic skin substitute, Mirragen that seamlessly conforms to any wound bed, reduces healing time, minimizes treatment costs, and improves patient outcomes.

“Three critical barriers still persist today when it comes to healing complex wounds: a lack of wound bed activity to create sufficient quality tissue and angiogenesis, the risk of infection due to potential bioburden in the wound bed, and the need for multiple products on the shelf to fit different wound sizes and depths. Our groundbreaking solution aims to address all three of these challenges in a way that no other skin substitute can,” says AJ Ford, CEO.

The traditional approach to manufacturing skin substitutes (also sometimes referred to as CTPs or CAMPs) has largely been repurposing discarded, natural materials, from human placental tissue to animal – cow, sheep, or fish to name a few – skin. ETS has started a new paradigm by leveraging advanced engineering and human ingenuity to craft a novel skin substitute, one that is intentionally designed to facilitate native wound healing processes¹.

The Next Frontier in Wound Healing

Today, Mirragen is setting a new standard in wound care with its unparalleled mechanisms of action.

To facilitate effective healing, Mirragen provides a scaffold for the patient’s own cells; this scaffold is comprised of microscopic fibers and microspheres, both derived from ETS’ borate-based bioactive glass. While the scaffold’s fibers last roughly one to two weeks in the wound bed, the microspheres continue to provide ongoing support for three weeks or more. This prolonged presence and impact of the microspheres is particularly beneficial for patients who sometimes miss their weekly wound clinic appointments.

As Mirragen naturally and safely absorbs into the wound bed over time, the bioactive glass’s constituents — natural elements like boron, calcium and magnesium – continue to play a key role. Elements like these are known to create a favorable environment for tissue regeneration by, for example, promoting angiogenesis to sustain high-quality tissue formation. This new technology is critically needed in today’s healthcare environment, where managing chronic wounds has only become more complex due to obesity, diabetes, and aging.

What makes Mirragen appealing and unique is its versatility and usability compared to other skin substitutes. The product is designed to be highly adaptable, allowing care providers to apply Mirragen directly into the wound bed without the need for preparation or thawing, unlike many other skin substitutes. Mirragen’s flexible structure enables it to adapt to any wound shape (even deeper, tunneling wounds) and easily stay in place once it comes into contact with fluid or punctate bleeding in the wound bed.

Its ability to be stored at room temperature for up to five years makes it an efficient and cost-effective solution compared to many other skin substitute modalities available today.

“Bioactive glass and its unique mechanisms of action offer a new option to patients struggling with complex and chronic wounds. Even in situations where other skin substitutes have failed to achieve granulation or re-epithelialization, Mirragen has worked and delivered the desired outcome. What that really means is that Mirragen offers new hope for patients and their providers that are stuck with frustrating, non-healing wounds,” says Ford, highlighting the product’s standout features.

Pioneering Science at the Heart of ETS

The breakthrough of engineering a completely novel skin substitute was driven by an unlikely team of glass and ceramics experts, whose ingenuity and vision have paved the way for revolutionary wound care.

Among the brightest minds behind Mirragen’s bioactive glass technology is Steve Jung, PhD, and Chief Technology Officer of ETS, who exemplifies both scientific expertise and dedication. Enthusiastic about the science behind bioactive glass, he continually inspires providers to think beyond the traditional skin substitutes currently available and adopt Mirragen to push the boundaries of conventional wound care. Inspiration works both ways as well; Steve and other members of the ETS team love getting new ideas from providers so that the company can add new innovations to its portfolio.


One such example is MirraSurg. ETS’ flagship product, Mirragen, is best suited for hospital-based wound centers and private practices, so the company received feedback from multiple Mirragen-superuser surgeons needing new configurations optimized for the operating room (OR). As such, the ETS team launched a new product called MirraSurg, allowing surgeons to tackle complex, surgical soft tissue defects in the OR. Although the core borate-based bioactive glass composition remains the same for both Mirragen and MirraSurg, the packaging and preparation of MirraSurg allows more surgeons to use bioactive glass in more healthcare settings to help more patients.

Committed to discovering new solutions for healing chronic wounds and soft tissue defects, this startup fosters an organizational culture of resourcefulness and creativity. ETS’ vision to “restore patients’ well-being for a more fulfilling life” highlights the team’s desire to continue making a difference and transforming lives, particularly those of the patients receiving their revolutionary bioactive glass technology and the providers/caretakers that help them.

To showcase their impact on quality patient outcomes and accomplishing wound closure, ETS is nearing the completion of its second randomized controlled trial (RCT) for diabetic foot ulcers. The company expects to finish patient enrollment this year and aims to publish the outcomes in the first half of next year. The trial’s outcomes will validate the effectiveness and impact of Mirragen against the current standard of care for these ulcers. This multi-million-dollar investment in robust clinical data will not only help ensure continued reimbursement coverage under newly proposed Medicare medical policies but also help to expand coverage with many other commercial payers. The goal is to ensure that innovative solutions are accessible to those who need them urgently, substantially increasing the number of patients’ lives that can be covered by and truly benefit from Mirragen’s bioactive glass technology.

In an era where conventional healing methods may sometimes fall short, the rising adoption of ETS’ synthetic solution marks a new chapter in medical innovation. Standing at the forefront of the industry, the company is transforming wound care and elevating patients’ quality of life. As a game-changer in wound care, ETS sets a new benchmark with pioneering bioactive glass technology, delivering quality outcomes and providing hope for healing to both patients and providers who need it most.