What is your project about?
"Our project is entitled DENOVOSS which stands for De Novo Ossification using human engineered cartilage as cell-free biomaterial. In short, we aim to introduce a new type of tissue-engineered graft on the market, OssiGel, to treat bone defects. OssiGel is a conceptual breakthrough because it fixes bones the way they naturally form and repair - through a cartilage intermediate. The technology is filling an important need as over two million bone transplantations are performed annually worldwide. These procedures are required due to severe accidents, tumor resections or an impaired self-regeneration capacity of patients," says Paul Bourgine.
What makes you particularly excited about this award?
"That is an easy answer to give; the EIC Transition literally opens the path to a first-in-human trial following project completion. Thinking that in a few years patients could benefit from OssiGel is pure excitement and motivation."
What are the different strengths of the project's four partners?
"Four partners indeed, with real complementary expertise: Lund University oversees the project and optimizes OssiGel for patient delivery; Basel University handles safety and efficacy data and clinical trial setup; Nantes University conducts pre-clinical validation; and Dhalion Biotech defines the commercialization path and will produce and distribute OssiGel to patients."
Is the project built on a previous research project?
"The project builds on over ten years of research on developmental biology, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, through the activities of Basel and Lund Universities. It builds on unique human stem cell lines capable of generating moleculary customized human cartilage tissues. After removing the cells, freeze-drying, and turning the tissue into a gel, we obtained OssiGel – a cell-free cartilage biomaterial with an impressive ability to promote bone formation in the body. The project also stemmed from past ERC-funded projects, which prompted the creation of Dhalion Biotech. Dhalion is a Lund University spinn-off, exemplifying the local fertile ecosystem for research and innovation," concludes Paul Bourgine.
