The TRiAnkle proposal is ambitious as it requires the successful synergy of different scientific expertise and backgrounds such as biomaterials engineering, additive manufacturing, rapid and custom-made prototyping, regenerative medicine, cell therapy, tissue-specific cell delivery and transplantation, advanced clinical imaging, CAD/CAM medical software, 3D-bioprinting, nanotechnology, appropriate large in vivo models imitating human pathologies and specialized orthopaedic surgery. Altogether, TRiAnkle will represent a significant step forward in the development of personalized, tissue-specific functionalised biomimetic scaffolds suitable for the targeted cell delivery and osteoarticular tissue regeneration of the different weight-bearing joint structures (cartilage, tendon, and ligament).
TRiAnkle therapies will contribute to reducing the direct costs for OA treatment by 16% resulting in €12.24 billion annual savings for the EU health system. TRiAnkle will also reduce tendinopathies therapies-related costs by 20% causing €28 billion savings for health systems worldwide. Moreover, the application of these advanced therapies will enable to improve social reintegration of patients with diseases of weight-bearing joints by improving the employability and work performance of people with high physical activity, such as construction workers, physiotherapists, or athletes. Fast and good recovery is of high economic and social importance for these patients.
TRiAnkle project also aims to contain societal costs by developing advanced gelatine and collagen-based therapies that improve the Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) of patients suffering from ankle joint ruptures. Currently, about 30% of the patients with high physical activity, such as athletes, do not recover pre-injury performance levels after any of the current treatments. This is a major social drawback for women and men that rely on physical work and their income and social integration can be significantly compromised due to osteoarticular joint diseases. The know-how acquired through this clinical experience will be used in the project to better design the combined ATMPs to be used for treating tendon ruptures.
Beyond funding, extensive government support would drive the global regenerative medicine market as they are responsible for the regulatory development path that drives the future commercialization of biomaterials. As part of the communication plan of TRiAnkle, the consortium will define specific dissemination actions to increase the EU attractiveness for the clinical development of regenerative medicine by regional, national, and European administrations. This may help to contribute to harmonise European regulation and create a viable governance pathway for regenerative medicines. Moreover, the governments are aware of the financial advantages of investing in regenerative medicine instead of financing palliative treatments, especially with an ageing population that threatens the current sustainability of the European healthcare systems.
