Register now After registration you will be able to apply for this opportunity online.
This opportunity is not published. No applications will be accepted.
Cell Damage Spreading in Lesioned and Laser Ablated Cartilage Samples
Cartilage defect can be treated by surgically removing the damaged cartilage and filling the generated defect with a precisely shaped engineered cartilage graft. Nowadays, removing the defect cartilage is done manually using surgical curettes. The utilization of laser technology could allow to enhance the integration properties of the therapeutic cartilage graft. Previous results indicate that after tissue cutting, a molecular shift toward an “early/pre-OA” phenotype has already occurred in cartilage areas adjacent to the lesion. The hypothesis to be investigated is that ablation of cartilage with laser would counteract the tendency of the damage to spread out from the cartilage defect over time.
Traumas of knee joints that are quite common in young individuals are the main cause of structural damage to articular cartilage. Such injuries if untreated predispose to degenerative joint pathologies like osteoarthritis. Cartilage defect can be treated by surgically removing the damaged cartilage and filling the generated defect with a precisely shaped engineered cartilage graft. Nowadays, removing the defect cartilage is done manually using surgical curettes. The utilization of laser technology could allow to enhance the integration properties of the therapeutic cartilage graft. Thus, Prof G. Rauter’s and Dr. F. Canbaz’ groups (DBE) are developing a system leveraging robotic positioning and laser light for precise and controlled tissue ablation.
Traumas of knee joints that are quite common in young individuals are the main cause of structural damage to articular cartilage. Such injuries if untreated predispose to degenerative joint pathologies like osteoarthritis. Cartilage defect can be treated by surgically removing the damaged cartilage and filling the generated defect with a precisely shaped engineered cartilage graft. Nowadays, removing the defect cartilage is done manually using surgical curettes. The utilization of laser technology could allow to enhance the integration properties of the therapeutic cartilage graft. Thus, Prof G. Rauter’s and Dr. F. Canbaz’ groups (DBE) are developing a system leveraging robotic positioning and laser light for precise and controlled tissue ablation.
Prof A. Barbero’s group (DBM) has demonstrated that cartilage tissue surrounding the damaged areas contains cells that expressed degrading enzymes (i.e., MMP-13 and ADAMTS5) at mRNA levels that are higher than those measured in unaffected healthy cartilage and more similar to the ones in osteoarthritic chondrocytes. These results indicate that, a molecular shift toward an “early/pre-OA” phenotype has already occurred in cartilage areas adjacent to the lesion. The hypothesis to be investigated is that ablation of cartilage with laser would counteract the tendency of the damage to spread out from the cartilage defect over time.
Prof A. Barbero’s group (DBM) has demonstrated that cartilage tissue surrounding the damaged areas contains cells that expressed degrading enzymes (i.e., MMP-13 and ADAMTS5) at mRNA levels that are higher than those measured in unaffected healthy cartilage and more similar to the ones in osteoarthritic chondrocytes. These results indicate that, a molecular shift toward an “early/pre-OA” phenotype has already occurred in cartilage areas adjacent to the lesion. The hypothesis to be investigated is that ablation of cartilage with laser would counteract the tendency of the damage to spread out from the cartilage defect over time.