Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disease that causes severe pain, mobility limitations and disability, significantly affecting millions of people worldwide and placing a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Current treatments, such as joint replacement surgery, are invasive and costly, highlighting the urgent need for innovative, non-invasive solutions (1-4). This project seeks to address this challenge by focusing on the development and biocompatibility evaluation of synthetic cartilage as a potential non-invasive treatment alternative. We aim to evaluate the safety, cellular response and integration potential of these biomaterials.
The research hypothesizes that synthetic cartilage engineered with advanced biopolymer-based hydrogels will exhibit superior biocompatibility and functional integration with native tissue compared to existing alternatives. The project objectives include (1) the evaluation of cytocompatibility using in vitro tests, and (2) the evaluation of immune responses in a simulated physiological environment.
The student will work on optimizing the test conditions and analysing the data to establish the clinical relevance of the proposed synthetic cartilage. The results will contribute to preclinical validation and pave the way for translational research on the treatment of OA.