A project led by Dr Xavier Gil, from the Department of Dentistry at UIC Barcelona, and Dr José Maria Manero, from the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering at the UPC, entitled "Advanced osteoinductive and antimicrobial coatings to engineer biomaterials for improving osteointegration in osteoporotic and diabetic pathologies” has received a €121,000 grant from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
The main aim of the project, one of the three highest rated projects in Spain in the 2015 Excellence Projects and Challenges Projects call for applications, is to develop new coatings with osteoinductive and antimicrobial properties with a view to producing biomaterials with higher osteointegrative capacity. The limited biological functionality of current bone grafts, such as dental implants, prosthetic joints (i.e. knees), etc., is becoming a growing socio-economic burden in Europe and the United States. The medium- and long-term success of bone grafts depends on their integration with the surrounding bone following implantation. Though bone has the natural ability to regenerate, certain fractures or pathologies such as cancer, infection, osteoporosis or diabetes may hinder regeneration and reduce the efficiency of the osteointegration processes. This project focuses on pathologies that affect the osteointegration process, such as osteoporosis and diabetes.
