Dear ,

At Foregen, our day-to-day work is full of challenges that lurk just beneath the surface, from overcoming language barriers and drastictime zones to navigating complex regulatory hurdles. It's a testament to ourteam's expert coordination that we're able to overcome these obstacles and keepour research moving forward.

Recently, our team in Slovakia achieved an important milestone: completing preliminary analysis of decellularized tissue samples, including histology, immunohistology, residual DNA characterization, and the first steps of supplementary biomechanical testing. Each of these stages is critical. To be viable, our re-engineered tissues must demonstrate the same structural and functional properties as native human tissue. While the results so far are very promising, they represent only one part of a rigorous process required forfuture preclinical and regulatory applications.

But this isn’t just a story about the what — it’s also about the who.

This progress has been made possible by the extraordinary dedication of our team members and collaborators who put in countless hours to move the project forward.

One example of this dedication of our team members is Ján Kovác, our primary biomedical engineer in Slovakia and a Ph.D. student in regenerative medicine. Ján has been involved in regenerative medicine research since his university years in Brno,where he worked on project at CEITEC and completed his master’s thesis in this field. Today, his Ph.D. research focuses on smart hydrogels for 3D bioprinting, additive manufacturing technologies, and the development of advanced bioreactor systems for tissue culture and seeded scaffolds maturation. These efforts directly connect to our project, building on decellularization and recellularization strategies and translating them into practical applications for regenerative medicine.

Ján giving a tour of the team's lab in Piešťany, Slovakia

By drawing on this expertise, Ján has played a key role in designing experiments, traveling across borders to coordinate with partner laboratories, and ensuring that essential research tasks, such as biomechanical testing, generates meaningful and usable data. His dedication, together with the efforts of his colleagues, has laid a strong foundation for our ongoing progress and is helping move the project closer to future clinical applications.

And this is just the beginning. Our research team is already working on recellularization experiments, which represent the next highly critical step in transforming decellularized scaffolds into living, functional tissue. In future updates, we’ll take a closer look at each part of this journey from decellularization, to bioreactor systems, to innovative recellularization strategies, and the unique challenges this research brings with it. We are venturing into territory where no one has gone before so stay tuned!

The entire Foregen team recognizes Ján Kovác’s profound dedication to our vision. He embodies this calling not for a paycheck, but for our supporters, our donors, and our community, everyone like you who makes this calling a reality. Just like every other team member, he is a key part of the tireless effort that will one day help us achieve our goal of providing a tangible solution for those who have suffered from circumcision.

Sincerely,

Foregen Staff