Biomaterials and ultrasound for cartilage regeneration and the treatment of osteoarthritis: the results of the ADMAIORA project, coordinated by the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, have been published in the journal ACS Nano
Injectable biomaterials that encapsulate stem cells and are stimulated with ultrasound enable joint cartilage regeneration. A study by the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, in collaboration with the IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli and other national and international partners, has been published in the prestigious journal ACS Nano.
The study is part of the research for new treatments for osteoarthritis, a disease that afflicts millions of people worldwide and involves a progressive degeneration of cartilage, producing reduced mobility, chronic pain and a significant decrease in quality of life. At present, there is no effective cure for this condition: the only solution is the implantation of a hip or knee prosthesis, an invasive operation that is not without its complications. The activity is part of the ADMAIORA project (ADvanced nanocomposite MAterIals fOr in situ treatment and ultRAsound-mediated management of osteoarthritis), funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, grant agreement no. 814413
Innovative biomaterial containing ultrasound-responsive nanomaterials
The study has demonstrated that it is possible to harvest and use stem cells derived from the patient’s adipose tissue, encapsulated in an innovative biomaterial developed in this study. Such a biomaterial contains nanomaterials responsive to ultrasound. When invested by ultrasound waves, the responsive nanomaterials generate electrical charges that provide a sort of “instructions” to the stem cells, favoring their maturation in cartilagineous tissue, thus promoting cartilage regeneration.
"The results obtained in this study demonstrate the efficacy of this therapeutic paradigm in vitro, using human cells, and the safety of this approach at the preclinical level," says Leonardo Ricotti, scientific responsible of the 'Regenerative Technologies Lab' at the BioRobotics Institute of Sant'Anna School. ' We are currently carrying out preclinical tests. The perspective is to move to clinical trials on human volunteers. To achieve this goal, we are looking for future funding opportunities’.
Dr. Gina Lisignoli, a researcher at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, adds: 'The encouraging results achieved with these preclinical studies were possible thanks to the continuous collaboration between the biological-clinical skills of the Rizzoli professionals, in the field of cartilage tissue regeneration, and the more technological-engineering skills of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna. The union of intentions, competences and the continuous interchange of information was the keystone that allowed us to face the difficulties during the project. Now we hope to be able to continue along this path in order to offer a new treatment option to patients'.
