Das Projekt "Three-dimensional reconstruction of human corneas by tissue engineering (CORNEA ENGINEERING)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde, Hornhautbank durchgeführt. The goal of the proposed research project is to reconstruct a human cornea in vitro, for use both in corneal grafting and as an alternative to animal models for cosmeto-pharmacotoxicity testing. The project responds to the urgent need to develop new forms of corneal replacements as alternatives to the use of donor corneas, in view of the worldwide shortage of donors, the increasing risk of transmissible diseases, the widespread use of corrective surgery, which renders corneas unsuitable for grafting, and the severe limitations of currently available synthetic polymer-based artificial corneas (keratoprostheses). The originality of the proposal lies in the use of recombinant human extra cellular matrix proteins to build a engineered-engineered scaffold to support growth of the different cell types found in the cornea, cells to be derived from human adult stem cell pools. The development of a reconstructed human cornea will represent a real breakthrough, allowing diseased or damaged corneas to be replaced by tissue-engineered human corneal equivalents that resemble in all respects their natural counterparts. The proposal also responds to impending ED legislation banning the marketing of cosmetic products that have been tested on animals, using procedures such as the Raise rabbit eye irritation test. The development of tissue-engineered corneas will provide a non-animal alternative, which will therefore alleviate animal suffering. The project will lead to a transformation of industry to meet societal needs using innovative, knowledge-based approaches integrating Nan technology and biotechnology. The project brings together 14 participants with complementary expertise from 9 different countries, including basic scientists, ophthalmologists and industrialists (three Sees). Ethical and standardisation aspects will also be included. Prime Contractor: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Proteines - UMR5086; Paris; France.
Das Projekt "Magnetic scaffolds for in vivo tissue engineering (MAGISTER)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche durchgeführt. Objective: The main driving idea of the project is the creation of conceptually new type of scaffolds able to be manipulated in situ by means of magnetic forces. This approach is expected to generate scaffolds with such characteristics as multiple use and possibly multipurpose delivery in order to repair large bone defects and ostheocondral lesions in the articular surface of the skeletal system. The major limitations of the scaffolds for bone and cartilage regeneration nowadays available in the market are related to the difficulties in controlling cell differentiation and angiogenesis processes and to obtain stable scaffold implantation in the pathological site. . . Several attempts have been performed over the last years in order to provide scaffolds for tissue engineering, but nowadays there is no way to grant that tissue regeneration take place in the pathological site. The provision in vivo of the scaffold with staminal cells or /and growth factors in order to drive the tissue differentiation process and parallel angiogenesis represents nowadays one of most challenging requests (Ref. Nanomedicine roadmap). The Consortium aims to elaborate, investigate and fabricate new kind of scaffolds magnetic scaffolds (MagS) - characterized by strongly enhanced control and efficiency of the tissue regeneration and angiogenic processes. The magnetic moment of the scaffolds enables them with a fascinating possibility of being continuously controlled and reloaded from external supervising centre with all needed scaffold materials and various active factors (AF). Such a magnetic scaffold can be imagined as a fixed station that offers a long-living assistance to the tissue engineering, providing thus a unique possibility to adjust the scaffold activity to the personal needs of the patient.