| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/J009490/1 |
| Title: |
pH-Responsive hollow particle gels for cartilage regeneration |
| Principal Investigator: |
Saunders, Professor B |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Materials |
| Organisation: |
University of Manchester, The |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research |
| Starts: |
30 July 2012 |
Ends: |
07 May 2015 |
Value (£): |
279,541
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Biomaterials |
Materials Synthesis & Growth |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
| Panel Date | Panel Name | Outcome |
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03 Nov 2011
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Materials, Mechanical and Medical Engineering
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Announced
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the gradual degeneration of cartilage covering the bony ends of joints. It is a debilitating disease which develops in 33% of adults in the mid 40s and affects 15% of the worlds population. The cost of OA treatment for the UK National Health Service (NHS) was £850M in 2007 (5% of the NHS budget) and is increasing. There is an urgent need for an injectable fluid that transforms into a gel in the body that provides both immediate load support to damaged cartilage and results in regeneration of cartilage tissue. Hollow polymer particles have potential to enable regeneration of cartilage tissue. In our proof-of-concept study we established a new injectable fluid containing pH-responsive biodegradable hollow polymer particles that change from a fluid to a gel at physiological conditions. In this proposal we aim to establish methods for linking the hollow particles together to prepare injectable gels that are both mechanically stable and are able to be disassembled on demand using molecules that naturally occur in the body. These are essential steps which, if successful, will result in design rules for preparing injectable, high strength, hollow particle gels that could enable a new OA therapy. This ambitious proposal greatly extends our earlier study and will be conducted by a postdoctoral research associate over a period of 30 months.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.man.ac.uk |