The use of injectable calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) for the regenerative medicine of bone tissues is expanding continuously, since (i) they can be resorbed in vivo and replaced by natural bone; (ii) they give access to implantations under minimally invasive surgery conditions with high benefits (small incision, rapidity, low complication rates, local anesthesia), due to their injectable character. Up to now CPCs are mainly used for bone void filling. Given the fast improvement of imaging technologies which should result in their increasing use in operating rooms, making possible the implantation of CPC under image-guided procedures is highly strategic to extend their clinical indications to spine (e.g. filling of cages for intervertebral fusion, vertebral body augmentation). Since the opacity of CPCs is close to that of bone tissues, the inclusion of an adapted contrast agent (i.e. compatible with the bioresorption of the associated cement) is thus needed. In this context, the core and groundbreaking aspect of this proposal is to combine the expertise of two complementary networks and take benefits of a unique advanced imaging technique based on the K-edge.

The Graftys company has developed and patented a new generation of CPCs with improved biological properties to address spine indications, in collaboration with an academic consortium (CEISAM, CEMHTI, iBV and ONIRIS). Graftys wish now to investigate strategies that would allow an appropriate visualization of this product under image-guided procedures.

The MATHYM company is manufacturing innovative nanomaterials entering new medical devices formulation, such as dental or bone-substitute materials. In close collaboration with an academic consortium (ENS-Laboratory of Chemistry and CREATIS), MATHYM is currently developing rare earth-based contrast agents, specifically designed for a new quantitative and analytical in vivo imaging technology, i.e. K-edge based Spectral Photon Counting Computed Tomography (SPCCT), capable to accurately and early detect, characterize and monitor neurovascular and cardiovascular disease. Opening other clinical indications with this technology is of high interest for MATHYM.

Objectives. “BREAKSIT” proposes to combine these two domains of expertise to design a CPC formulation suitable for SPCCT-imaging and demonstrate for the first time the unique advantages of SPCCT for bone surgery, when compared to the radiology or conventional CT-scan techniques.

Bruno BUJOLI

Research Director (CNRS)
Project Manager

Jean-Michel BOULER

Professor

Elise VERRON

Professor

Clémence QUEFFELEC

Associate professor

Center for Studies on High-Temperature Materials

(CEMTHI)
UPR CNRS 3079

Center for Research in Image Acquisition and Processing for Health

(CREATIS)

GRAFTYS SAS

 

 

Valrose Institute of Biology

(IBV)

ENS Lyon Chemistry Laboratory

 

ONIRIS

 

MATHYM SAS