Project description DEENESFRITPL Biomimetic solutions for spinal cord regeneration The spinal cord consists of delicate nerve tissue that, when injured, often leads to permanent loss of function due to limited regenerative capacity. Cell-based therapies and biomaterial scaffolds have been proposed for tissue regeneration alongside growth factors and therapeutic agents. Funded by the European Research Council, the ANISOGEL project aims to engineer an injectable gel that provides mechanical support and allows the regeneration of damaged nerves. Contrary to current injectable hydrogels, the ANISOGEL hydrogel mimics the natural extracellular matrix found in complex tissues in terms of organisation and orientation, stimulating the regeneration of the damaged spinal cord. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective This project will engineer an injectable biomaterial that forms an anisotropic microheterogeneous structure in vivo. Injectable hydrogels enable a minimal invasive in situ generation of matrices for the regeneration of tissues and organs, but currently lack structural organization and unidirectional orientation. The anisotropic, injectable hydrogels to be developed will mimic local extracellular matrix architectures that cells encounter in complex tissues (e.g. nerves, muscles). This project aims for the development of a biomimetic scaffold for spinal cord regeneration.To realize such a major breakthrough, my group will focus on three research objectives. i) Poly(ethylene glycol) microgel-in-hydrogel matrices will be fabricated with the ability to create macroscopic order due to microgel shape anisotropy and magnetic alignment. Barrel-like microgels will be prepared using an in-mold polymerization technique. Their ability to self-assemble will be investigated in function of their dimensions, aspect ratio, crosslinking density, and volume fraction. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles will be included into the microgels to enable unidirectional orientation by means of a magnetic field. Subsequently, the oriented microgels will be interlocked within a master hydrogel. ii) The microgel-in-hydrogel matrices will be equipped with (bio)functional properties for spinal cord regeneration, i.e. to control and optimize mechanical anisotropy and biological signaling by in vitro cell growth experiments. iii) Selected hydrogel composites will be injected after rat spinal cord injury and directional tissue growth and animal functional behavior will be analyzed. Succesful fabrication of the proposed microgel-in-hydrogel matrix will provide a new type of biomaterial, which enables investigating the effect of an anisotropic structure on physiological and pathological processes in vivo. This is a decisive step towards creating a clinical healing matrix for anisotropic tissue repair. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiologyengineering and technologymaterials engineeringfibersnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryaliphatic compoundsengineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterials Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-StG-2014 - ERC Starting Grant Call for proposal ERC-2014-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-STG - Starting Grant Host institution DWI LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR INTERAKTIVE MATERIALIEN EV Net EU contribution € 1 435 396,00 Address FORCKENBECKSTRASSE 50 52074 Aachen Germany See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 435 396,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all DWI LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR INTERAKTIVE MATERIALIEN EV Germany Net EU contribution € 1 435 396,00 Address FORCKENBECKSTRASSE 50 52074 Aachen See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 435 396,00
