The Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration is a multidisciplinary translational research laboratory that recognizes that the body has incredible healing capabilities and works to harness these to their fullest potential for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. Our researchers under the leadership of Francesca Taraballi, PhD, utilize their expertise in many different, synergistic backgrounds including nanomedicine, engineering, chemistry, biology, and materials science to perform cutting edge research designed to facilitate technology translation to the clinic.

The Center's focus research focuses on developing innovative nanotechnology platforms and biomaterials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine which include:

• Biomaterials functionalization to target immune system to enhance regeneration
• Synthesis and functionalization of biomimetic nanoparticles to target and treat inflammatory-based conditions
• Biomimetic tridimensional in vitro system to study complex cancer environment
• Drug delivery system for the sustained release of proteins, cytokines, antibiotics and analgesics
• Smart materials development (injectable and implantable) to enhance surgery outcome

The rate at which nanotechnology and tissue engineering has seen innovations move from bench to bedside has been slower than expected. The demand for products with desired properties for clinical therapy (high targeting, low toxicity) and surgical applications (high biocompatibility, compliance with organ function) remains elevated. We recognized that the body has incredible healing capabilities and have worked to harness these to their fullest potential by creating biomimetic biomaterials, injectable or implantable, able to elicit desired cells and tissue responses.

The Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration is focused on the development of cutting edge nano- and bio-materials for therapy. Our goal is to develop biomaterials which we either use as in vitro model of complex system, injectable nanotherapies or implantable synthetic tissues.

Our efforts are directed towards the treatment of currently unmet traumatic and pathological conditions. By combining cell biology with nanotechnology, we create innovative medical technologies that work within, and not around, the laws of nature.

We normally ask to our clinicians: what do you need in the OR and you don’t have it?

As a testimony to our translational research, we are also conducting the first large-scale FDA preclinical study to test the osteoregenerative capability of a novel biocompatible device for bone healing.