Trestle Biotherapeutics

Trestle Biotherapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, CA.

Bioengineered kidneys for patients with kidney failure

Kidney disease affects 850 million people worldwide (37 million in the US), yet the only options for kidney failure are a rare transplant or dialysis, a burdensome treatment that carries risks like infection and vascular collapse and hasn't seen a treatment advance in nearly 60 years.

Trestle is developing an implantable, stem-cell-based bioengineered tissue designed to get end-stage renal disease patients off dialysis, delay the need for transplantation, and eventually function as replacement organs.

Combines stem cell biology, biofabrication, fluidics, and cell manufacturing, led by a founding team with prior experience at Organovo building 3D bioprinted human tissue systems for preclinical research.

Co-founded by tissue engineers Ben Shepherd and Alice Chen, Trestle licensed its core kidney-engineering technology from Harvard and is backed by Y Combinator and Draper Associates.