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Scientific Programmes
Biomaterials and Advanced Therapies
The CIBER-BBN Programme for Biomaterials and Advanced Therapies encourages excellent science and the creation of innovation addressing the so- cial challenges and technological requirements in a multidisciplinary approach, so as to obtain prod- ucts with a great impact in the biomaterials area with applications in tissue engineering, nanomed- icine and implants.
Different outcomes of importance as regards the transfer of research results have been obtained in 2015 as part of this programme. It should be stressed that the GEMM- I3A of the Universidad de Zaragoza has developed a new series of mi- crofluidic devices for cell cultivation in biomimet- ic atmospheres which has led to creating the new BEONCHIP company. This business project was awarded the IDEA-PRODUCT award by the Centro Europeo de Empresas e Innovación (CEEI Aragón) thus receiving an economic endowment and sup- port for its incorporation, which is intended to be for the end of the year. The promoting team is made up of researchers with different profiles such as Luis Fernández (physics), Ignacio Ochoa (biol- ogy) and Rosa Monge (engineering), thus demon- strating the need for multidisciplinary cooperation to manage to obtain products with real exploitation capacity on the market or with tangible impact in the health area. Experiments that were hitherto im- possible can now be carried out with these be-on- chip polymeric devices.
The IOBA-UVA group led by Dr Margarita Calonge has developed a new polyethylene implant for pa- tients with no eyeball. This new product has been successfully tested in a study on rabbits displaying the safety and biocompatibility of the orbital im- plant, which is porous and enables tissues to grow inside this. The company AJL Ophthalmic and the Centro de Medicina Regenerativa y Terapia Celular de Castilla y León took part in this project.
As part of this scientific programme the participa- tion of clinical groups in intramural projects con- tinues to be a priority, as well as the emergence of patents. 4 new patents were applied for in 2015, one European and three national, and a further two European patents which had been extended to PCT went into the national stages in the U.S.A., China and Korea.
Following on with the constant dialogue with regu- latory agencies through this programme, the CIB- ER-BBN continues to be an Interested Party in the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and there is similarly constant interaction with the Agencia Es- pañola de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS) to get advice and consultancy in different aspects of legislation connected with intramural projects and the scientific work of the CIBER-BBN in general.
One final point to be highlighted was the pro- gramme being joined by the Integrative cell and tissue dynamics group of the Instituto de Bioinge- niería de Cataluña, led by Dr Xavier Trepat, that has also been selected from the eight finalists for the Science Award of La Vanguardia newspaper, which distinguishes the groups performing the most rele- vant research during the year.
The scientific production of articles, reviews, edi- torials and letters comes to 182 publications, with 62% in the first quartile and 21% in the first decile.
Since 2012, the Biomaterials Programme has been cooperating with the CIBER-BBN initiative Young Scientist Forum on Biomaterials furthered by CI- BER-BBN researchers. This research programme annually grants an award to a young researcher coinciding with when the annual sessions are held, including a session on this Forum.
CIBER-BBN I Annual report 2015 I 21