Magnetically Targeted Delivery of MSCs loaded Microrobots for OsteoArthritis – MAGOA

In recent years, cell-based therapy for cartilage repair has made technological advances to fabricate commercial products and become a promising treatment with artificial joint transplant. Knee cartilage regeneration with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is accomplished through intra-articular injection because of low targeting efficiency of MSCs, the current MSC-based therapy requires a large amount of cells for intra-articular injection or invasive surgery for scaffold implantation above the millimeter size. To improve the lack of targeting efficiency for the present MSC based therapy, this project aims to develop magnetically actuated microrobotic system (EMA) for targeted MSC delivery using multimodal imaging. MagOA will explore the potential of swarms of magnetic microrobots and stem cells for targeted MSC loaded microrobots to stop the degeneration of cartilage during osteoarthrisis (OA) at early stages. Within the project time-frame (4 years), the target is to demonstrate the ground-breaking potential of such a regenerative approach, at a preclinical level. The scientific project objectives will cover the design, modeling, control and clinical development of the microrobotic platform for in-vivo MSCs delivery. A novel robotic EMA system using an eight coil radial structure configuration will be developed compatible visually controlled by clinical medical imaging devices (ultrasonic imaging device and arthroscopy). To make this challenging objective a reality, the project partners will collaborate in the investigation of microrobotics (PRISME, INSA CVL), microrobot functionalization with stem cells (MiNt, INSERM), multimodality navigation (LaTiM, INSERM) and wearable devices (CHU Brest) into a unique workflow. The targeting and regeneration effects of microrobots using the in vivo model of appropriated disease will be fully verified considering the complete clinical environment.