Announcements
Innovative Biodegradable Vascular Implants - Revolution in the Treatment of Coronary Disease
The Department of Biomedical Research of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology – Foundation of Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH-IMBB-BR) participates in the InSilc project funded by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program with € 5.8 M for the next 3 years. Twelve partners from ten different countries, including universities, medical centers, research centers and enterprises, participate in the project, providing the necessary experience to ensure the success of the project in all its stages of development.
The coronary artery disease (CAD) is caused by the build-up of atherosclerotic plaques inside the coronary arteries, remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide and accounts for over 4 million deaths per year, close to half of all deaths in Europe. Coronary stents revolutionized the treatment of arterial disease. In 2011, the global market of coronary stent devices reached approximately €7.1 billion with a prediction of approximately €15.2 billion by the end of 2024. Based on clinical outcomes, the rate of stent implantation failure is more than 4% of the total stenting procedures.
The advents of drug-eluting BVS have emerged as a potential major breakthrough for treatment of coronary artery lesions. The aim of InSilc is to develop an in-silico clinical trial (ISCT) platform for designing, developing and assessing drug-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS).
InSilc goes beyond the design and development of ISCT and lays on the generation of in-silico models for obtaining quick and informed answers to several “What if” scenarios. “Virtual” patients would be given a “virtual” drug-eluting BVS, for observing the performance of the scaffold, assess and quantify the intended effect, with a deeper understanding than normal trials can provide.
InSilc will assist in the development, assessment and optimization of the drug-eluting BVS and deliver accurate and reliable information to the Stent Biomedical Industry. Also, InSilc will assist the interventional Cardiologists in improving the surgical process of drug-eluting BVS implantation, support them in the clinical assessment and reduce the complications of suboptimal scaffold performance.
For more information please contact:
Project website: http://www.insilc.eu/
Project coordinator: Prof. D. I. Fotiadis Collaborating Faculty Member of BRI-FORTH, University of Ioannina, Greece email: fotiadis@cc.uoi.gr
Local contact persons: Prof. Theodore Fotsis, Prof. D. I. Fotiadis
Department of Biomedical Research,
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology,
FORTH, GR 45110, Ioannina, Greece
