|
Project Topic
|
Owing to its peculiar anatomy and function, the restoration of damaged tympanic membrane (TM) must accomplish several features on the nanoscale, which in this body setting more than in others, can be decisive for an optimal performance within an infectious and chronically inflamed microenvironment (e.g. due to otitis media chronica). To date, auto/allografts from other tissues are clinically used, leading to suboptimal outcomes. None nanotech manufacture is applied to TM reconstruction, which renders this project innovative and original. Through an incremental approach, 4NanoEARDRUM aims at synergising different nanotechnologies for an optimal TM restoration, including acoustic, regenerative and therapeutic cues, to ultimately achieve a durable and effective performance. A biomimetic TM scaffold will be designed and fabricated, with features on the nano-to-microscale all the way to achieve its full function (regenerative, anti-infective, immunomodulatory, otocompatible and acousto-mechanic) thanks to the cooperation of academic and health experts in otology, biomaterials engineering, microbiology, nanotechnology, biofabrication, acousto-mechanics, chemistry, as well as industrial partners of the nano-biotech industry. An anisotropic TM scaffold with radial and circular fibres based on a biodegradable polymer/chitin nanofibril (CN) composite will be fabricated via electrospinning and additive manufacturing. CNs are chosen for their immunomodulatory and antibacterial properties. Antibiotic loaded and molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (NPs) will be prepared with tailored release profiles. Modelling will be used through the project. The new device will be “4 times” “nano”, as it will comprise nanofibres, nanofibrils, NPs, and accomplish nanoscale vibration, as well as it will be “for” “nano”, thus meaning for enabling exploitable nanotechnologies in otologic surgery, with improved reliability and reduced costs for the National Health Systems.
|
