Saber Amin Yavari has received funding from NWO’s Open Technology Program to develop a new biomaterial that aims to improve the success of spinal fusions. His team will therefore combine substances that stimulate bone growth and deliver drugs to reduce complications.
Spinal fusion surgery is a procedure to merge vertebrae into a single bone mass. Surgeons use the procedure to treat traumatic injuries, deformities, tumors, infections, and degenerative spinal conditions. Approximately 1.2 million spinal fusion surgeries take place worldwide each year, marking a 170% increase over the past two decades. Despite this growth, the success of spinal fusion still depends on multiple factors, including adequate blood supply, prevention of infection, and effective pain management after surgery.
With this funding, Saber Amin Yavari will develop a novel multifunctional bone substitute to address these complications after surgery and improve patient satisfaction. Amin Yavari is a principal investigator of Designer Biomaterials at Regenerative Medicine Utrecht and associate professor at UMC Utrecht. He collaborates on this project with Moyo Kruyt and Harrie Weinans.
This project proposes a next-generation bone graft platform that integrates MagnetOs granules that stimulate bone growth with biodegradable microbeads. These microbeads enable localized and sustained release of therapeutics. The system thereby delivers drugs that promote blood vessel growth, are antibacterial, and relieve pain directly at the surgical site. This combination aims to enhance bone regeneration, reduce infection rates, and minimize the need for systemic opioids (pain-relieving medications that affect the entire central nervous system). “The modular design of this new biomaterial enables patient-specific treatment while supporting clinical translation and large-scale production. Ultimately, our goal is to improve spinal fusion outcomes and reduce complications,” Amin Yavari says.
The Open Technology Program of the NWO provides funding for application-oriented technical-scientific research that is free and unrestricted and is not hindered by disciplinary boundaries. The program offers companies and other organizations an accessible way to participate in scientific research that is intended to lead to societal and/or scientific impact.
