Bio-hybrid composite bone graft for paediatric bone regeneration

Scope

The goal of the project is the development of a new composite bone substitute for the regeneration of bone defects and losses in paediatric applications, including oncological ones, achieving the conditions for clinical studies.
A composite approach will be followed to obtain a multicomponent device where a commercially available composite xenograft-synthetic bone substitute (SmartBone®) will be integrated with new and highly effective osteoinductive synthetic peptides (NuPep™).
The new device (SmartBonePep®) will be the main result of the project. It will be achieved by means of an innovative integration of two existing components SmartBone® and NuPep™.

Following a successful clinical study the consortium will sell on the market its new medical device (SmartBonePep®).
This innovative medical device is directed to the paediatric bone regeneration market.
No satisfactory solutions for paediatric patients are today available, where main paediatric bone needs could be grouped in the following 3 categories:

1. trauma induced skull bone loss,
2. skull bone defects,
3. oncology requiring bone segment removal

The project is organized in six workpackages:

• WP 01: NuPep™ loading onto SmartBone®
• WP 02: Development of mathematical models
• WP 03: Target and definition of best SmartBonePep® formulation
• WP 04: SmartBonePep® safety studies and in vivo animal model testing
• WP 05: Market Analysis and Business Plan
• WP 06: Project Management and Dissemination of Results

Duration

• 36 months
• Start: December 2015 (to November 2018)

The Eurostars Programme (www.eurostars-eureka.eu) is the European funding and support programme specifically dedicated to stimulating international collaborative research and innovation projects of small and medium enterprises.