Objective
The project described in this application is concerned with developing a minimally invasive method of repairing degenerate intervertebral discs. The intervertebral discs have a mechanical function; they are the joints of the spine and support the high lo ads arising from body weight and muscle activity; maintaining high water content is essential for their function. The ability of the discs to remain hydrated under load is determined principally by the large proteoglycan aggrecan which generates a very hi gh osmotic pressure on account of its charge properties. Discs degenerate early; aggrecan is degraded and lost from the central region of the disc which thus loses its load-bearing capacity. Degenerate intervertebral discs are strongly associated with b ack pain; severe back pain affects a significant proportion of the population and is one of the most expensive of chronic disorders in western societies. At present the only treatments on offer are palliative or surgical; surgery is expensive and invasiv e with long recovery times. Here we propose an alternative method of repairing discs using new synthetic biomaterials based on charged hydrogels already in use for treatment of corneal-defects. The novelty of the proposal is that (a) treatment to introd uce the synthetic biomaterial into the disc will be only minimally invasive and so costly and expensive surgery will be avoided (b) the biomaterial will polymerise in situ, be non-toxic and bond to the healthy surrounding discs (c) the biomaterial will be engineered to mimic the physico-chemical behaviour of healthy disc tissue and so will restore disc biomechanical function. The work will involve (i) characterising factors regulating aggrecan osmotic and hydraulic permeability properties using state-of-a rt techniques (ii) manipulating charge density, chain length and branching of hydrogels to mimic relevant aggrecan properties (iii) in-situ polymerization of the hydrogel monomers in disc explants.
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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine surgery
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkali metals
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology biomaterials
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology implants
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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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.
FP6-2004-MOBILITY-5
See other projects for this call
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
OXFORD
United Kingdom
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.