Imagine printing a tiny, living piece of brain tissue that can be transplanted into a patient. This piece isn't just a static shape; it's like a seed that grows and matures only after it's placed in the brain, complete with its own blood supply and a tiny electronic chip to wake up the cells. It's designed to replace damaged areas of the brain that current medicines simply cannot fix.
Current treatments for neurodegenerative diseases only slow progression because adult brain degeneration is difficult to reverse. Existing cell implants often fail because the cells cannot properly integrate or remain active in the brain.
A 4D-bioprinted reconstructed brain featuring a 3D architecture, a vascular system for nutrient delivery, and a wireless-controlled optoelectrical chip for cell stimulation.
If you are a drug discovery firm dealing with inadequate animal models for human brain response — this project developed functionalised human tissue to screen medication candidates. This allows you to speed up development and facilitate personalised medicine while reducing animal testing costs.
If you are a neural implant manufacturer dealing with the failure of cells to remain active after transplantation — this project developed a wireless-controlled stimulating optoelectrical chip. This ensures the implanted cells are correctly specified and integrated into the brain.
If you are a biotech startup dealing with tissue rejection in brain therapies — this project developed a 4D-bioprinted reconstructed brain using patient-based or organic materials. This minimizes rejection and provides a vascular system to keep the cells alive.
Based on available project data, the specific cost per treatment is not provided, though the project notes the overall economic healthcare burden of neurodegenerative diseases is 798 billion € per year.
The project is currently focused on generating a first prototype within 36 months and testing it in small animal models; industrial scaling details are not yet specified.
Based on available project data, the consortium has a dissemination and exploitation plan to ensure the uptake of methods by European technological actors, but specific licensing terms are not listed.
The project aims to move the reconstructed brain approach up the development ladder to potentially generate a therapy within a 10-year span.
It uses a combination of laser-assisted bioprinting with native decellularized brain matrix and an integrated opto-stimulator to induce correct specification and integration.
The consortium is well-balanced for a deep-tech venture, consisting of 7 partners across 5 countries. With an industry ratio of 43% (including 3 industrial partners and 2 SMEs), there is a strong bridge between the 2 universities and 2 research institutes, ensuring that the high-risk biological research is aligned with commercial viability and manufacturing potential.
Contact Fundacio de Recerca Clinica Barcelona-Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer
Contact us to explore licensing opportunities for 4D-bioprinting and optoelectrical chip integration.
