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Content archived on 2024-05-28

Piezoelectric nanohybrid scaffolds for bone regeneration

Objective

Bone tissue regeneration remains an important challenge in the field of orthopaedic and craniofacial surgery and sees a transplantation frequency second to that of blood. The total number of bone graft surgeries performed each year worldwide to repair bone defects in orthopaedics and dentistry is more than 2.2 million. Current clinical treatments for critical-size defects are challenging, and despite the natural capacity of bone for healing, if an injury is beyond a critical limit (critical size defect), it cannot heal by regeneration. Bone grafting is the current standard treatment; however, given the inherent limitations of this approach, bone tissue engineering and advanced biomaterials that mimic the structure and function of native tissues hold potential as a promising alternative strategy. Nanocomposites containing hydroxyapatite have attracted attention as they are structurally similar to natural bone and provide an osteoconductive matrix to which bone can react with ‘bone’. However, nanocomposites do very little to assist in the recruitment of host cells to assist in bone repair. To circumnavigate this issue, we propose the incorporation of piezoelectric nanofibres to promote guided cellular infiltration. At sites of bone fracture, naturally-occurring electric fields exist during healing which promote cell migration and may become perturbed at sites of critical bone defects. Our aim is to develop a novel hybrid material that consists of a biodegradable bioactive hydrogel network containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and PVDF(TrFE) nanofibres to produce a scaffold with mechanical and electrical properties akin to bone. In this study, the hybrid material will be fully characterised pertaining to its morphology, chemical composition, mechanical stability and piezoelectric response. Cells will be encapsulated within the hybrid material and viability and cytoperformance studies conducted as well as assessment of the materials innate osteoconductive properties.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG
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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG)

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY
EU contribution
€ 50 000,00
Address
UNIVERSITY ROAD
H91 Galway
Ireland

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Region
Ireland Northern and Western West
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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