Regenerative engineering innovation in early intervention of osteoarthritis

Recent breakthroughs in tissue engineering are helping to overcome some severe limitations of osteoarthritis (OA) treatment strategies. Although the latest advances to regenerate cartilage lesions to a healthier state have opened a promising way to prevent joint replacement, current solutions still have a number of challenges ahead to effectively promote satisfactory durable regeneration along the disease progression. With these perspectives, the biomedical engineering market is rapidly growing and demands new knowledge, new skills and new approaches to adapt to the technological evolution of the sector while providing robust products, solutions and treatment strategies which only find a partial match in existing doctoral programmes. RENOVATE addresses this challenge by delivering an innovative multinational, multi sectoral, and multidisciplinary research and training programme in new technologies and novel strategies to produce a new generation of multi-material graded osteochondral scaffolds with a focus on large OC defects. From the research point of view, RENOVATE will integrate data and knowledge to: 1) define patient-specific key functional and mechanical requirements for large osteochondral scaffolds and deliver new therapeutic schemes; 2) enhance the physicochemical and biological behaviour and the mechanical fixation scaffolds; and 3) produce Functionally Graded large osteochondral scaffolds evolving existing 3D printing equipment. With this purpose, RENOVATE’s partnership aggregates relevant scientists from the academic and clinical worlds that will be involved in a high-level personalised training programme that will guarantee fellows and future PhD students outstanding Career Opportunities in the biomedical engineering, orthopaedic sectors and beyond. RENOVATE will disseminate results to a wide spectrum of stakeholders, create awareness in the general public about OA and encourage vocational careers among students.