Trestle Biotherapeutics Announces Formation of Advisory Board

Company appoints advisory members with key areas of scientific expertise and history of successful company building.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Trestle Biotherapeutics, a private, San Diego-based company developing bioengineered therapies for patients living with kidney failure today announced the formation of its advisory board. The Trestle Advisory Board is a balanced mix of academic and industry leaders who are world renowned scientific experts in the fields of 3D biofabrication, stem cell and developmental biology, tissue engineering, immunology, and nephrology.

“Trestle was founded with the mission to build a new solution for patients living with kidney failure. Our vision is to integrate specific technologies, ideas, and people in a comprehensive effort to solve a complex challenge. The composition of our advisory board reflects that approach, and we are proud to have them join us and help guide the effort,” said Ben Shepherd, Co-Founder and CEO of Trestle.

Trestle has recently announced a license agreement with Harvard University and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital to commercialize a suite of intellectual property developed in the laboratories of Jennifer Lewis, Sc.D, and Ryuji Morizane, M.D., Ph.D., both of whom have now joined the company’s advisory board. Lewis is a Wyss Core Faculty member, leads the Wyss Institute’s 3D Organ Engineering Initiative, is the Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard SEAS, and is a Principal Faculty member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Dr. Morizane is a Principal Investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital, an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, an Affiliated Faculty member at Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and a Visiting Scholar at the Wyss Institute.

In addition, Laura Niklason, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of Humacyte has agreed to join the Trestle advisory board. Humacyte has progressed its human acellular vessel (HAV) into Phase II and Phase III clinical trials across multiple indications including vascular trauma and AV access for hemodialysis. Dr. Niklason also maintains an adjunct faculty appointment at the Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Andrew McMahon, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Director of the Eli and Edith Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of Southern California, will also be joining the board. Dr. McMahon brings extensive background in mammalian kidney development and stem cell biology to Trestle’s efforts.

Krishna Polu, M.D., a clinically trained nephrologist, and Michael Gallatin, Ph.D., an expert in immunology and drug discovery, together bring to Trestle years of venture-backed company creation and advisory. Dr. Polu currently serves as a Principal at Red Tree Venture Capital and has previous operational experience across a range of biotech companies. Dr. Gallatin is currently senior advisor on the Frazier Life Sciences team and a co-founder of Inipharm, where he chairs the Scientific Advisory Board.

About Trestle Biotherapeutics

Trestle Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a pre-clinical stage company developing bioengineered therapies for patients living with end stage renal disease. Once implanted, these bioengineered stem cell-derived tissues will get patients off dialysis, delay their need for transplantation, and one day become replacement organs. Learn more at trestlebio.com.