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Projektleiter:
Prof. Dr. Michael Gelinsky

Laufzeit:
01/2013 - 12/2014

Projektbeschreibung:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one the most prevalent and costly health problems in Australia, Germany and internationally. Biomaterials and regenerative medicine technologies promise to revolutionise treatments for OA and related diseases involving the breakdown of osteochondral (bone –
cartilage) interfaces. The development of engineering strategies that enable the repair of complex multiphase tissues (where multiple tissue types meet), such as those damaged in degenerative diseases, represents the critical next step in this field. Whilst seamless integration of multiphase tissues is critical to their function, engineering of these tissues has proven challenging. Thus, the next frontier in regenerative medicine is the successful regeneration of interfacial tissues that will enable functional bridging of discrete engineered repair tissues. The proposed project will contribute towards overcoming this challenge through the development of novel hybrid scaffolds combining biomaterial matrices with degradable microparticles to enable the controlled release of growth factors and therapeutic agents to aid in tissue repair. While this proposal is specifically focused on developing technology for the repair of osteochondral defects, it forms part of a broader program of research underway at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Technical University of Dresden (TUD) which is focused on the development of novel technologies and techniques for the repair and regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues more broadly and seeks to have profound impact and significant applications throughout regenerative medicine.

Kooperationspartner:
Dr. Mia Woodruff, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland Univ. of Technology, Brisbane, Australien