Project overview
We have discovered a specific nanopattern which promotes the stem cells from the bone marrow to become bone forming cells. This project will take our remarkable discovery from a Petri dish and turn the results into a new generation of orthopaedic implants with improved properties over current ones. To realise this ambitious goal we have devised a clear technology development plan combined with the necessary biological experiments to bring our technology to a large animal stage. Our initial results have been performed on patterned plastic surfaces. However, plastics do not have the required mechanical properties (strength) to be used for prostheses. Such load bearing implants are commonly made in titanium and we will develop methods to pattern such metal implants.