Marie Curie Fellow Dr. Antonia Ressler will study scaffolds obtained by using 3D-printable calcium phosphate multi-substituted with ions (strontium, magnesium, and zinc) crucial for efficient bone regeneration. Stereolithography, as an additive manufacturing technique, is going to be used for printing precise, highly porous, scaffolds based on multi-substituted calcium phosphates for bone augmentation procedures in collaboration with the company Lithoz GmbH. After the detailed analysis of physicochemical properties of printed scaffolds, in vitro and in vivo biological properties will be obtained to determine the scaffold's osteogenic properties and the influence of substituted ions on bone regeneration by using human stem cells from female and male donors and female and male rats, respectively. Further, company Planmeca Oy will provide patient real cases and the needed technologies for obtaining a demonstration of a personalized scaffold, customized to the patient complex jaw bone defect.
AffordBoneS project requires a high level of interdisciplinary work and the project is planned bearing in the mind that the improvement in the field of bone regeneration relies on bringing together experts from different fields, who are nowadays distant from each other, such as material engineers, biologists, clinicians, surgeons, and related companies.
Goal
AffordBoneS project aims to develop affordable and mass-customizable solution for maxillofacial bone augmentation procedures essential for dental implants when the patient does not have enough bone to attach the implantable screw, to which the dental prosthesis is attached. The AffordBoneS solution is to treat these patients with biomimetic scaffolds obtained by using 3D printable calcium phosphate multi-substituted with ions.
Impact
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), less than half of the world's population is covered by essential healthcare services and progress is needed in developing affordable solutions. The AffordBoneS project aims to provide personalized and affordable scaffolds for bone augmentation procedures to allow a larger population to have access to these treatments and improve their quality of the life. It is estimated that in Europe alone, 1.5 million augmentation procedures are required annually.
Funding
Funding source
Partners
Lithoz GmbH, Planmeca Oy
