VB
VASCULAR BONE
| Coordinatore | IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Organization address
address: SOUTH KENSINGTON CAMPUS EXHIBITION ROAD contact info |
| Nazionalità Coordinatore | United Kingdom [UK] |
| Totale costo | 209˙592 € |
| EC contributo | 209˙592 € |
| Programma | FP7-PEOPLE
Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) |
| Code Call | FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IEF |
| Funding Scheme | MC-IEF |
| Anno di inizio | 2012 |
| Periodo (anno-mese-giorno) | 2012-02-13 - 2014-02-12 |
Partecipanti
| # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Organization address
address: SOUTH KENSINGTON CAMPUS EXHIBITION ROAD contact info |
UK (LONDON) | coordinator | 209˙592.80 |
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Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)
'Abstract The European population is ageing, forecasting a growing demand of health care solutions. The demand for biomaterials, either for orthopaedics, dental or maxilla-facial applications, will follow this trend. According to Biomet report, it is estimated that in Europe, 180,000 man and 610,000 women will suffer from hip fracture due to osteoporosis. These numbers will grow until 2050. Bearing in mind European population ageing as well as the status of social and financial indicators, it is urgent to develop more successful bone substitutes. A large number of bone substitutes made of calcium phosphate-based materials are commercially available. Despite the progresses that have been made with regard to their biocompatibility, one research area is being serious neglected: the study of the capability of acquiring blood vessels (angiogenic capability). The presence of blood vessels is the first critical step of bone regeneration and affects the implant success rate. The present proposal aims to tackle this problem through the development of a bone substitute with angiogenic potential, the VASCULAR BONE.'
Introduzione (Teaser)
The demand for orthopaedic biomaterials is growing in line with ageing populations. Bone substitutes that encourage the development of blood vessels are at the top of research priorities.
Descrizione progetto (Article)
Bone fracture non-union when the normal process of bone healing is interrupted is a serious complication. Non- or non-delayed union fracture often requires a synthetic bone substitute but those available currently neglect the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis).
Pro-angiogenic potential is critical for effective healing and is regulated by mechanical and chemical factors. Important mechanical components are the sheer stress caused by blood flow itself and extracellular stiffness.
The EU-funded 'Vascular bone' (VB) project focused on filling this gap and has investigated stiffness and angiogenesis to develop a pro-angiogenic bone substitute. Blood supply depends on the lining of blood vessels called endothelial cells (ECs). Testing the effects of low and high stiffness substrates on tube formation of ECs revealed that high stiffness corresponds to actual bone rigidity.
The scientists used a co-culture system without cell-to-cell contact to test the extent of differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblast-like cells. The most striking result was the discovery that stiffness modulated protein activity as well as growth factor expression.
VB project results have expanded the knowledge on the environment required for effective bone healing. Most of the beneficiaries will be elderly people at very high risk of fracture as a result of osteoporosis. However, there is a high demand in orthopaedic surgery for effective bone substitutes to treat the rising challenge of non-union fractures.