The national government is to invest almost 19 million euros for the development of smart bio materials that combat heart and kidney failure more effectively. The research is being led by Technical University Eindhoven.
Researchers from Maastricht and Utrecht will also be involved. The universities of Eindhoven, Maastricht and Utrecht will themselves invest another six million euros.
The smart bio material will encourage the body to repair itself. The materials will make new bones, cartilage and blood vessels. This will enable organs to eventually be restored.
This is a relative new branch of medical science. The approach is very promising, and should, in time, offer a solution for the rising cost of healthcare in the senior population.
The research, under supervision of TU Eindhoven, focuses on, amongst other things, regeneration of the heart after an infarction, and on the creation of working parts of the kidney for patients with renal failure. The researchers will also concentrate their efforts on the repair of the complex attachment of bone to tissue such as cartilage and muscle.
Source: Studio 040
Translator: Maurice
