Every year, around 500,000 individuals globally undergo spinal cord injuries. The greatest number of complications stemming from such injuries are found in major urban areas, with Moscow being one of them. The causes of these injuries range from traffic accidents to an aging population, falls from significant heights, and industrial mishaps. In cases of partial spinal cord injury, nerve signal transmission ceases at the site of the injury. The most common treatments are medication-based, primarily focused on mitigating inflammation and pain.
“One contemporary approach to nerve tissue restoration is the development of a neuroimplant to facilitate its structural recovery. The implant must exhibit mechanical compatibility with native tissue, be porous, and biodegradable, ensuring that its structure and material are conducive to cell attachment and tissue growth. An effective and comprehensive therapy for rejuvenating spinal cord nerve tissue is yet to be developed, thus further evolution of such structures that are implantable in the acute phase of injury is imperative,” stated Eleonora Zelenova, one of the developers of the neuroimplant. She is a student in the iPhD Biomaterial Science program and a member of the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research and education laboratory at MISIS National Technological University.
For several years, students in the iPhD Biomaterial Science program, under the supervision of Ph.D., Director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at MISIS, Fyodor Senatov, have been engrossed in the development of materials and products in the neuroengineering realm. They have fabricated nanostructured frameworks composed of absorbable polymers. Neuroimplants have been subjected to trials validating their effectiveness in cell cultures. The project is being carried out by the team of bioengineers from MISIS University in collaboration with partner organizations that are part of the “Health Engineering” Consortium.
“Involving young individuals in scientific pursuits and nurturing skills in technology entrepreneurship stands as one of the vital missions of MISIS University. The university’s graduate and postgraduate students are actively involved in the execution of extensive scientific projects funded by both the state and business partners of the university. The university houses a Platform for Student Technological Entrepreneurship where students can fulfill technological orders from industrial partners utilizing the infrastructure and scientific research base of MISIS University,” pointed out Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of MISIS University.
In the immediate future, the research team plans to pursue further investigations using animal models. The team of students and postgraduates from MISIS University proposed a project for the development and implementation of a neuroimplant at the IV Moscow International Student Entrepreneurship Festival “Moscow – Starting Point in 2024” and secured a significant victory.