Descrizione del progetto
Ridurre le infezioni in ortopedia
Negli impianti ortopedici, quali le protesi articolari, le infezioni postoperatorie da batteri resistenti agli antibiotici sono in aumento, costituendo un pesante onere per pazienti e sistema sanitario. Ecco perché la prevenzione della formazione della biopellicola sulla superficie delle protesi è importante. Il progetto AIMed, finanziato dall’UE, svilupperà una serie di biomateriali con proprietà antibatteriche. Sarà utilizzata l’elaborazione laser per rendere i biomateriali più resistenti alla formazione di biopellicole. Il progetto, che consiste in una rete di 12 beneficiari e sei istituzioni partner, testerà le proprietà dei nuovi materiali per dimostrare che sono adatti per l’uso in futuri impianti.
Obiettivo
The AIMed network, consisting of 12 beneficiaries and 6 partner organisations, will develop a range of materials with anti-bacterial properties that are suitable for use on the surfaces of orthopaedic implants. This is in response to the increasing problem of post-operative infection by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. By combining several approaches to disrupt surface biofilm formation, the materials developed by the AIMed network will eventually result in fewer surgical infections, faster recovery of patients, and greatly reduced post-operative healthcare costs. The network will develop novel peptide sequences and ways of binding them to the surfaces of olymers, ceramics and metals. A complementary approach will be the developent of metal ion substituted calcium phosphate coatings which can be applied to implants by additive manufacturing techniques. The efficacy of these anti-bacterial surfaces will be further enhanced by laser processing of the material to make it unattractive to biofilms (by altering the roughness and wetting characteristics). The network will carry out a thorough investigation of the properties of the new materials to ensure that they are feasible for use in future implants. This work will include the evaluation of antibacterial action and biocompatibility using appropriate models. Training of the 15 ESR's appointed to the network will be multi-disciplinary and intersectoral, with an emphasis on the need for technology transfer from academic institutions to commercial users.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineorthopaedics
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringadditive manufacturing
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringceramics
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-ITN - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN)Coordinatore
B15 2TT Birmingham
Regno Unito