GENERAL INFORMATION

ADMAIORA (ADvanced nanocomposite MAterIals fOr in situ treatment and ultRAsound-mediated management of osteoarthritis) is a research project funded under the Horizon 2020 EU Framework Programme (Call: H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-2018, Research and Innovation action), coordinated by Prof. Leonardo Ricotti at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Pisa, Italy).

WHAT IS OSTEOARTHRITIS?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major burden that affects ~ 40 million of EU citizens, with enormous direct and indirect costs for the European healthcare systems. This disease involves the degeneration of cartilage and other joint structures and is one of the most common causes of pain and disability in middle-aged and elderly people. Over the next decade, the number of people affected by OA is expected to double due to population ageing and increased rate of obesity (a risk factor for OA), resulting in a significant burden at the society level. According to the United Nations, by 2050, 130 million people will suffer from OA worldwide, of whom 40 million will be severely disabled by the disease. This represents an issue that is largely unsolved, at present.

THE PROJECT

ADMAIORA aims, in the long-term, at increasing the healthy and active lifespan of people affected by OA, by considerably slowing down or even stopping the degeneration process, thus delaying by several years or even avoiding surgical interventions for total joint replacement.
To make this challenging objective a reality, the project partners will collaborate in the investigation of nanotechnologies, advanced materials, remotely physical stimulation, advanced manufacturing, wearable devices and cloud platforms into a unique workflow. ADMAIORA will explore the potential of smart nanocomposite materials and stem cells, in synergy with external physical stimuli (based on low-intensity ultrasound), for stopping the degeneration of cartilage during OA at early stages. Within the project time-frame (4 years), the target is to demonstrate the ground-breaking potential of such a regenerative approach, at a preclinical level.

ADMAIORA will contribute to keep EU a leader in high-impact and high-level research in the biomedical field. In addition, the project outcomes are expected to dramatically improve patients’ quality of life and their healthy and active lifespan in the long-term, thus promoting healthy and active ageing, which is a priority of the European Commission. This would also imply to considerably reduce the financial burden on European healthcare systems, related to OA. Finally, the project efforts are also expected to generate new market opportunities in different niches, such as surgical/arthroscopic tools, biomaterials and cells for tissue regeneration, ultrasonic technologies and Internet-of-Things frameworks.

Look at the Admaiora Brochure