Piezo-driven theramesh: A revolutionary multifaceted actuator to repair the injured spinal cord

Introduction

Piezo4Spine aims to develop a novel multifactorial therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI) conceived as a disruptive platform enabling unprecedented multiscale actuation to drive functional neural repair by more accurately tackling SCI complexity. It originally relies on the pivotal role that mechanotransduction plays in the physiology and physiopathology of tissue and organ functions, never explored before for SCI.

Project Overview

We will develop a 3D bioprinted mesh containing nanocarriers with therapeutic agents acting at two pivotal aspects of neural repair:

1. Mechanotransduction
2. Inhibitory scarring using gene therapy strategies.

Bioactive nanocarriers will be based on cutting-edge nanoparticles whose release will be electrically triggered on-demand via wireless powering. Such a 3D-theramesh offers a novel and exceptionally robust biomaterial for delivering agents at the lesion, controlling time and dose.

Current Advances

Current advances in SCI therapies focus on:

• Rehabilitation
• Cell transplantation
• Drugs
• Biomaterials
• Electrical stimulation

Although these approaches lead to partial sensory/motor recovery, chronic functional deficits limit daily living activities and shorten life expectancy in SCI patients, as they fail to promote successful axon regeneration at the lesion and restore lost functions.

Multidisciplinary Approach

By a multidisciplinary consortium combining scientific, technological, clinical, and industrial partners enriched by their interdisciplinarity, we envision overcoming the limitations of current technologies. This will be achieved by tackling multiple cellular targets involved in neural regeneration after SCI with a balanced combination of therapeutic interventions able to optimally promote functional recovery.

Potential Impact

These radical science-to-technology breakthroughs could enable, if successful, novel technologies and therapies for SCI and many other neural and non-neural pathologies in which some, but not necessarily all, of these targets are involved.

Gender Dimension

The gender dimension will be implemented by ensuring that findings apply to society as a whole.