Researchers at Columbia-based University of Missouri are developing bioactive materials to replace metal rods and screws traditionally used in spinal fusion surgeries.
Led by associate professor Bret Ulery, PhD, researchers in the Biomodulatory Materials Engineering Laboratory are creating soft, peptide-based materials designed to stimulate bone growth, reduce inflammation and dissolve once healing is complete, according to a Sept. 29 system news release.
The project recently secured nearly $2 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health.
One drug delivery tool under study is micelles — biodegradable particles that deliver drugs or prompt stem cells to regenerate tissue. The team also uses computational modeling to accelerate design.
Graduate student Shwetha Ramachandra, who underwent spinal fusion after fracturing her L5 vertebra, said the work has personal significance.
“I’m really hopeful that in the next 10 to 15 years, we’ll have a material that can help a lot of people,” she said in the release.
The same biomodulatory materials may also be adapted for vaccines, cancer treatments and craniofacial repair, according to the release.
