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H2020Staff exchange2016–2020

Bi-Stretch-4-Biomed · BIaxial STRETCHing of PLLA-WS2 nanocomposites FOR thinner and stronger BIOMEDical scaffolds

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2016-02-01 → 2020-01-31
EU contribution
€342,000
Participants
4
Scheme
MSCA-RISE

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

BIaxial STRETCHing of PLLA-WS2 nanocomposites FOR thinner and stronger BIOMEDical scaffolds

Toward the goal of guiding blood vessels to regenerate into a healthy state after heart disease, our team is creating new materials with the combination of strength, biocompatibility and bioresorption that could revolutionize treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). Metal stents have become the standard cure for patients suffering from CHD. However, the presence of a permanent metal structure places mechanical restrictions as it alters the arterial vasomotion of the coronary artery giving rise to fatal complications such as late stent thrombosis. In recent years, a revolution in the treatment of CHD has pointed a bioresorbable device that works as well as metal stents by restoring the regular flow of blood and guiding tissue regeneration but is resorbed by the body thus eliminating long-term complications. Our project contributed to the innovative research on bioresorbable scaffolds by 1) developing new compositions that combine biocompatible inorganic nanomaterials for strength with polymers that have demonstrated success in transient implants, 2) understanding the way the structure in the new materials responds to processes that are used to form the bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS), and 3) guiding the unified design of materials and processes to enable thinner scaffolds that are easier for surgeons to implant and provide better outcomes for patients. The project fully achieved the initial objectives and the results place the project itself in a pilot phase ready for next steps including in vivo testing of the nanocomposite and manufacturing of a BVS prototype.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

New materials are now opening clinical treatments in which a temporary scaffold is used to support regeneration of healthy tissue. The specific need that inspires our research is for thinner and stronger bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) for coronary heart disease. BVS are poised to replace metal stents due to the excellent clinical outcomes: beyond keeping the vessel open during the first six months after surgery, the BVS leaves behind a healthy blood vessel after the scaffold is gone, being completely absorbed by the body approximately two years after surgery. The material that has achieved clinical approval for BVS is poly(L-lactic acid), PLLA. It is not as strong and stiff as metals, so the scaffold is three times thicker than the metal stents, making it more difficult for surgeons to move through arteries to reach the site of the lesion. Thinner Scaffolds that can be seen by x-ray imaging during surgery would facilitate adoption of the technology and benefit thousands of patients in the EU and US. The proposed Action will provide the fundamental understanding needed to reinforce PLLA by tungsten disulphide (WS2) nanotubes to achieve both the strength and x-ray opacity needed. Improving materials for BVS requires an interdisciplinary approach by materials science, polymer processing, and bioengineering. The proposed Action will connect EU scientists with a polymer scientist at Caltech in the US who has specialized knowledge of PLLA BVS and the relevant structure-processing-property relationships (Kornfield). European scientists bring expertise in WS2 nanotubes that are powerful additives for enhancing polymer properties (Di Luccio), compounding polymers with nanotubes (McNally), biaxial stretching to induce strength and orientation in polymers (Menary), multiscale modeling to connect nanoscale to continuum scale (Figiel), multimethod characterization of structure in nanocomposites (Schiller) and the response of cells to nanoparticles (Kornfield).

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE · RomaCoordinatorItaly
  • CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYCORP · PasadenaUnited States
  • THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST · BELFASTUnited Kingdom
  • UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK · COVENTRYUnited Kingdom

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union