b'Left: Tissue recipient, Diana, participates in a martial arts competition with her new donor ACL from AlloSource. Above: An AlloSource processing technician measures a tendon to confirm its size.We get to turn something that is so incredibly tragic into something that is so impactful in the lives of patients and patients families.DEAN ELLIOTTPRESIDENT & CEOALLOSOURCEAlloSource Marks 30 Years of Innovating Tissue TransplantsIts truly amazing but its important to notAs a nonprofit in the tissue industry, staying forget we dont do this in a vacuum, says CEOon the cutting edge isnt always easy, so Thirty years ago, AlloSource set its rootsDean Elliott. AlloSource finds strong partners in the states down in Centennial and went on to build anecosystem. The organization works closely international reputation as a tissue bank. RossUnlike other medical device manufacturers, AlloSource cannot just order raw materialswith Colorado State Universitys Translational Wilkins, an orthopedic oncologist trained atMedicine Institute and research programs at the Mayo Clinic, came to Denver in the 1980sto create their products; their materials come from deceased tissue donors. Thethe University of Colorado, as well as with top-and helped start the Mile High transplantlevel surgeons across the country, including bank, a fledgling operation that consisted oforganization is committed to optimizing the impact of every gift of donation byseveral surgeons in Denver. Junior League volunteers cleaning and steril-izing donated human tissue in a garage. ensuring it is used in the most effective andThat kind of creative collaboration with Wilkins saw patients with bone trauma orappropriate application, while honoring thedoctors in orthopedic medicine has led to cancer, which required amputation andgenerosity of donor families.innovations such as the companys most realized that he could save patients limbs ifIn the last decade, AlloSource has developedrecent product, AceConnex Pre-Sutured they could replace the damaged bone frommany products from human tissue, includingFascia, a ready-to-use sterile device designed a tissue donor. That is where the motivationan articular cartilage disc, amnion sheet,specifically to repair early hip damage.to establish and grow AlloSource originated,and pre-shaped skin for use across variousLooking forward, AlloSource is focused on evolving into an organization that createssurgical specialties such as sports medicine,developing more solutions for joint disease more than 200 types of allografts for surgeonsspine, and plastics. The organization alsoand joint injury, as well as womens health to transplant, he says. developed a proprietary cartilage cryopreser- conditions such as pelvic organ prolapse and Today, as a 500-person nonprofit, AlloSourcevation technology that uses a controlled ratebreast reconstruction following breast cancer.operatesoutofa160,000-square-footfreezing of fresh cartilage to maintain high cellWhat we do every day is special, Elliott says. facility in Centennial with 37 clean rooms forviability for up to two years. We get to turn something that is so incredibly processing, multiple laboratory spaces andWere innovating with human tissue, whichtragic into something that is so impactful in expanded administrative offices. The opera- is a great opportunity to help the body healthe lives of patients and patients families, and tion contributed to 250,000 graphs last year. itself, says Elliott.thats an honor and a privilege.2024-2025 BIOSCIENCE COLORADO 11'