The EUR 1.4 million project, known as Regenesis, aims to create a layered bioactive implant for treating osteochondral injuries and repairing the interface between bone and cartilage, an area researchers say is often not fully restored by existing therapies.
"The material we are developing, called Regeniq, will have a layered structure, with each layer designed to support the regeneration of a different type of tissue," said Małgorzata Gazińska, the project's research coordinator.
According to the researchers, the biomaterial must closely mimic the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of natural tissue while remaining stable under physical stress.
"The material must not only deliver the appropriate biological signals, but also work together with the body," Gazińska told Poland's PAP news agency.
"One of the main challenges will be creating a durable connection between the layers so that the implant does not separate under load," she said
The international team includes researchers from two other Polish universities as well as partners in Slovenia and Canada.
The scientists plan to use a range of advanced techniques, including the pharmacological mobilisation of stem cells, to enhance the material's structural stability and regenerative potential.
The technology remains at an early stage of development and is unlikely to enter clinical trials for at least a decade, the PAP news agency reported.
(gs)
Source: scienceinpoland.pl, pwr.edu.pl