Project description
Slowing down the effects of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA), a joint disease involving the degeneration of joint cartilage and underlying bone, is the most common cause of pain and disability in middle-aged people and the elderly. The goal of the EU-funded ADMAIORA project is to help people with OA lead a healthy and active lifestyle by slowing down or preventing the degeneration process. The consortium is developing biosynthetic hydrogels with piezoelectric nanoparticles responsive to remote wireless ultrasound stimulation. The hydrogels will contain stem cells with anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties, and they will be delivered in situ using an innovative handheld 3D bioprinter. Custom-designed ultrasound probes will enable monitoring of the joint status and stimulation of the implanted piezoelectric biomaterial, to enhance cartilage regeneration.
Objective
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major burden that affects ~ 40 million of EU citizens, with enormous direct and indirect costs for the European healthcare systems, quantified in ~ 50.4 billion euros per year. This disease involves the degeneration of cartilage and other joint structures and is one of the most common causes of pain and disability in middle-aged and elderly people. ADMAIORA aims in the long-term at increasing the healthy and active lifespan of people affected by OA, by considerably slowing down or even stopping the degeneration process, thus delaying or avoiding surgical interventions for total joint replacement. Within the project time-frame the target is to achieve a 60% reduction of degeneration in OA animal models treated with the ADMAIORA technologies, with respect to control (untreated) ones, after 4 weeks, and a 90% reduction after 3 months. To achieve this ambitious objective the Consortium will evolve and merge technologies that already showed a high potential as experimental proof of concepts (TRL = 3) and will bring them at a preclinical level (TRL = 5). The ADMAIORA Consortium will develop biosynthetic hydrogels embedded with carbon-based nanomaterials, conferring higher mechanical and lubrication properties, and piezoelectric nanoparticles enabling responsivity to remote wireless ultrasound waves. Stem cells derived from autologous adipose tissue, which already demonstrated anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties, will be entrapped in the hydrogels. Materials and cells will be delivered in situ through an innovative handheld 3D bioprinter, embedded in an arthroscopic tool. A custom brace will be designed and equipped with ultrasound probes for both monitoring the joint status and stimulating the implanted piezoelectric nanobiomaterial. A dedicated App will allow a direct connection between patient and physician in an Internet of Things framework. Overall, ADMAIORA will target a ground-breaking paradigm that may revolutionize OA treatment.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologycells technologiesstem cells
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinesurgerysurgical procedures
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpiezoelectrics
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringnanocomposites
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesacousticsultrasound
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
56127 Pisa
Italy