Objective
30% of European workers experience back pain, and it is the most frequently reported work-related disorder. The proposed work seeks to provide a cure for lower back pain by developing porous scaffolds and technology which will repair a damaged intervertebral disc (IVD) by enabling its regeneration to a natural healthy state or better. Injectable acellular and cell-loaded bioactive polymer-based scaffolds will be developed. These will be designed to be implanted into the patient by minimally invasive surgery. A biomimetic approach will confer the appropriate mechanical and biological properties and enable the inclusion of the requisite cell signalling factors to produce a bio-hybrid structure which closely resembles the human tissue in all its essential attributes. Particular attention will be paid to angiogenesis. In IVD tissue, vascularization must be carefully controlled, due to the unique anatomy and physiology of the intervertebral disc. There must be negligible vascularization in the annulus and nucleus regions and moderate vascularization at the vertebral body level. Work will therefore be performed on materials functionalization, and on growth factor incorporation and delivery, to enable this region-specific control of vascularization at different levels. Natural IVD tissue contains a relatively low number of cells, which are chondrocyte-like in character. Consequently, it will be necessary to devote some research to identifying and evaluating suitable and more readily available alternative cells for incorporation in the bio-hybrid substitutes produced . Modelling studies will identify the physical and mechanical properties of the natural IVD and the substitute materials, and provide an understanding of the physical aspects of the regeneration process. In vivo study on animal model will be performed the bio-fuctionality of both sustitutes. Surgical methodology and protocol will be developed.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology cell signaling
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine surgery
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
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.
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.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-NMP-2007-LARGE-1
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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.
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.
Coordinator
00185 Roma
Italy
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Participants (16)
35031 ABANO TERME
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4031 BASEL
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BN2 4AT Brighton
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4200 135 Porto
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08028 Barcelona
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431 53 MOLNDAL
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H91 Galway
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89081 Ulm
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03690 Alicante
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35122 PADOVA
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060042 Bucharest
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WC2R 2LS London
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4704 553 Braga
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40057 GRANAROLO DELL EMILIA
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3000 LEUVEN
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55131 Mainz
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