Osteoarticular tissues regeneration (RIA)
To design and develop user-centred innovative and smart nanobiomaterials which may be also adaptable to remote control, that will lead to a personalised regeneration of osteoarticular tissues (bones, cartilages, tendons, joints). The nanobiomaterials should be designed to perform in host tissues affected by severe degenerative and/or inflammatory processes, which typically characterise Osteoarticular pathologies. Proposals should cover at least one of the following technologies, leading to a convergence of processes:
(i) 3D-bioprinting; (ii) stem cells seeding, recruiting, activation, functionalisation, and cell printing; (iii) nano functionalisation; (iv) 3D-printable biophoto-polymerisation; (v) use of light to expose/mask tethered signalling molecules, incorporating immune-modulatory materials such as complement regulators; (vi) additive manufacturing by laser sintering, rapid prototyping technologies, stereolithography, inkjet techniques; (vii) relevant cross-cutting KETs; (viii) electrospinning.
The research design should be developed by means of a multidisciplinary approach and involve relevant stakeholders. As relevant, proposals should consider sex and gender specific aspects.
Proposals submitted under this topic should include actions designed to facilitate cooperation with other projects; to enhance user involvement; and to ensure the accessibility and reusability of data produced in the course of the project.
Activities should start at TRL 3 and achieve TRL 5 at the end of the project.
The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 4 and 6 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.
EU demographic change requires innovation to enhance active ageing, whereby a growing market for osteoarticular tissue regeneration is created. To reduce patients’ sufferings, mitigate the economic burdens to health systems and exploit market opportunities it is crucial to conceive innovative designs and development of innovative biomaterials that enables the delivery of smart, nanostructured and functionalised tissues to regenerate and integrate bones, cartilages, tendons and joints.
- Alleviate heavy burdens on patients and healthcare systems by developing smart nano-engineered affordable biomaterials for tissue self-healing and regeneration; improve the well-being, health, quality of life and active ageing of populations;
- Boost industrial competitiveness and leadership of EU companies in personalised bio-intelligent materials responding to patients' clinical specificities;
- Enhanced incorporation of digitalisation and Internet of Things for innovative and affordable biomaterials;
- Increase EU attractiveness for the clinical development of regenerative medicine;
- reinforce the EU sector ecosystem to generate new markets and opportunities for SMEs, translating innovative biomaterials into pre-clinical tests for market uptake.
Relevant indicators and metrics, with baseline values, should be clearly stated in the proposal.