Project description
Innovative implants induce osteochondral defect regeneration
Osteochondral (OC) defects are commonly seen in young adolescents and are strongly associated with the development of premature osteoarthritis. Regeneration via 3D-printable scaffolds is a promising treatment option. However, OC defects involve both the articular cartilage and the underlying subchondral bone, and the required spatial resolution is difficult to achieve with existing additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. Leveraging an alternative AM technique, the ERC-funded MEMS project aims to optimise its novel melt electrowriting (MEW) scaffolds. They have demonstrated superior bone regeneration and, specifically, enhanced the repair of OC defects in a pre-clinical large animal model. MEMS plans to deliver an off-the-shelf implant based on MEW scaffolds that can induce endogenous OC defect regeneration.
Objective
An osteochondral (OC) defect is a focal area of joint damage that involves both the articular cartilage and the underlying subchondral bone. Such joint damage is strongly associated with the development of premature osteoarthritis, motivating the development of novel strategies to regenerate OC defects. 3D printing is enabling the manufacturing of geometrically complex biomaterial implants with user defined compositions and architectures, which can potentially be used as single stage, off-the-shelf scaffolds for treating complex injuries. Despite significant progress in this field, 3D printed scaffolds capable of regenerating OC defects remain elusive. This can potentially be linked to the spatial resolution possible using traditional additive manufacturing techniques. The melt electrowriting (MEW) technique has recently emerged as a novel additive manufacturing platform capable of producing polymeric scaffolds with fiber diameters in the submicron range in a highly controllable manner. We have recently developed MEW scaffolds that support superior bone regeneration compared to scaffolds produced using traditional additive manufacturing techniques. Furthermore, we have generated preliminary data demonstrating that multi-layered scaffolds generated by MEW are capable of enhancing the repair of critically sized OC defects in a pre-clinical large animal model. The MEMS project aims to further enhance the regenerative capacity of these MEW OC scaffolds by (i) optimising their architecture, and (ii) functionalizing their surface with extracellular matrix (ECM) components supportive of tissue-specific regeneration. The output of MEMS will be an off-the-shelf implant capable of directing endogenous OC defect regeneration without the need for delivering exogenous cells to the defect site.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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.
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.
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.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
D02 CX56 Dublin
Ireland
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.