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Peripheral nerve Gel-based Orientation (Peripheral nerve injury recovery using Gel-based Orientation)

Descrizione del progetto

Un gel iniettabile per la rigenerazione dei nervi periferici

Le lesioni dei nervi periferici vengono attualmente trattate con innesti di nervi autologhi, ponti artificiali e tubi neurali, ma con scarso successo. Gli scienziati del progetto PeriGO, finanziato dall’UE, stanno sviluppando una strategia di riparazione dei nervi periferici basata su un idrogel iniettabile e biocompatibile. Il vantaggio principale di questo approccio è che l’idrogel dispone di elementi di guida e proprietà regolabili dei materiali cosicché, una volta iniettato, stabilisce un contatto stretto con il nervo leso e ne adotta conseguentemente la forma. Prima di accedere alla fase clinica, PeriGO testerà questo approccio innovativo in un modello preclinico delle lesioni del nervo sciatico.

Obiettivo

PeriGO will pave the way for the commercialization of a unique, first-of-its-kind peripheral nerve repair strategy, as it uses an injectable, biocompatible hydrogel that provides directionality through controlled guiding elements. The properties of the smart material Anisogel, initially developed in the ERC project ANISOGEL to repair spinal cord injuries, provide a sophisticated, superior alternative for peripheral nerve regeneration. The final product can be injected inside a bridging blood vessel or artificial hollow tube after implantation to direct regenerating nerves across the injury site.
PeriGO comprises 3 key actions to advance a quick translation from the laboratory to the clinic: We will 1) establish a sterilization method and a packaging/application system to perform pre-clinical tests, 2) verify the handling and efficacy of the product in a rat sciatic nerve lesion model in cooperation with the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University Hospital in Aachen, and 3) complete a market study and business plan to bring PeriGO into the clinic.
PeriGO addresses essential issues associated with peripheral nerve regeneration. While the current Gold Standard of autologous nerve grafts creates a secondary defect, artificial bridging approaches for nerve gaps only reconnect short distances (< 3 cm) with marginal success. Features absent in the commercially available nerve tubes are guiding structures, controlled degradation, and a good interface with the damaged nerve stumps. The PeriGO platform will overcome these limitations as the material 1) is injected as a liquid to make a tight contact with the injured nerve and to adapt to the shape of the bridging tube before gelation, 2) provides unidirectional guiding elements, and 3) presents tunable material properties with tunable degradation kinetics adjusting to the length of the nerve gap. With PeriGO, we will thus establish the next generation of nerve repair strategies.

Meccanismo di finanziamento

ERC-POC - Proof of Concept Grant

Istituzione ospitante

DWI LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR INTERAKTIVE MATERIALIEN EV
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 120 000,00
Indirizzo
FORCKENBECKSTRASSE 50
52074 Aachen
Germania

Mostra sulla mappa

Regione
Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen
Tipo di attività
Research Organisations
Collegamenti
Costo totale
€ 120 000,00

Beneficiari (2)