Regenerative Medicine against Back Pain: Launch of New Horizon 2020 Project OSTEOproSPINE
The recently started European research project OSTEOproSPINE (“Novel Bone Regeneration Drug Osteogrow: Therapeutic Solution for Lumbar Back Pain“) aims to provide a long-term solution for the treatment of degenerative spine disorders through a personalised bone implant. Coordinated by Professor Slobodan Vukicevic from the School of Medicine at the University of Zagreb, the five-year-project brings together 13 partners from six countries. The project is funded by the European Research and Innovation Programme Horizon 2020 with a total budget of €6 million. Millions of people worldwide suffer from chronic lumbar back pain which is the second most common medical condition after common cold. Besides presenting a considerable challenge for European economy, chronic back pain has a major impact on the patients’ physical, psychological and social well-being. Currently, these patients are mostly treated by spinal fusion; a surgical procedure with a long-term success rate around 35 per cent. The new European project OSTEOproSPINE aims to improve therapeutic options for patients suffering from degenerative disc diseases by translating the patient’s peripheral blood into extra-skeletal bone. The research will be based on a therapeutic system developed in the course of the previous research project OSTEOGROW (http://osteogrow.eu(si apre in una nuova finestra)) in which an autologous carrier and a biologically active human protein were combined to accelerate and enhance bone repair. “Instead of recreating the needed tissue externally, the patient’s body will serve as the ultimate bioreactor,” said Professor Slobodan Vukicevic from the University of Zagreb and coordinator of OSTEOproSPINE. “Avoiding a second surgical procedure to harvest bone from the patients’ pelvis, this novel approach will provide a solution also for patients with several lumbar spine segments to be fused.” Using the Phase I results from Distal Radius Fracture and High Tibial Osteotomy clinical studies conducted in OSTEOGROW, OSTEOproSPINE is designed as Phase II clinical study to be concluded in 2022. Prof. Reinhard Windhager from the AKH at Vienna University, whose team is also involved in this ambitious project, said: “We can expect new insights in human bone regeneration of the spine from this meticulously planned prospective study which is expected to prepare a breakthrough in human bone tissue engineering. From the experience of the previous two studies this method seems to work without side effects.” OSTEOproSPINE officially kicked off its activities with a first project meeting held in Vienna from 08-09 January 2018. Project acronym: OSTEOproSPINE Start date: 01 January 2018 Duration: 60 months Budget: € 6 Mio Coordination: University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Prof. Slobodan Vukicevic OSTEOproSPINE Partners at a glance Croatia University of Zagreb, School of Medicine Genera Research Ltd. Smart Medico d.o.o. Triadelta Partners Ltd University of Zagreb Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Austria Medical University of Vienna Johannes Kepler University Medical University Graz Quality By Experts - The Inspectors Network Slovenia Clinres Farmacija d.o.o. Poland 2KMM Sp. z.o.o. Germany European Research and Project Office GmbH (Eurice) Contact Project Coordinator: University of Zagreb, School of Medicine Prof. Slobodan Vukicevic slobodan.vukicevic@mef.hr Project Management: European Research and Project Office GmbH (Eurice) Michaela Scheid Phone: +49 681 9592 3372 m.scheid@eurice.eu
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Austria, Germany, Croatia, Poland, Slovenia, United Kingdom