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Contatti:

Via Ernesto Tricomi, 5
90127 PALERMO
rdigesu@fondazionerimed.com

Collaborazioni:

• The Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced       Specialized Therapies (ISMETT), Italy

• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), USA

• University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum), Italy

• Orthopaedic surgery dept. Buccheri la Ferla clinic, Italy

• University of Palermo (UNIPA), Italy

• The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), USA

Description

The MusculoSkeletal Tissue Engineering (MSTE) group is dedicated to pursuing as a main objective the advancement of groundbreaking strategies for the treatment of various pathologies that affect ligaments, tendons, cartilage, bone, and muscles.
In order to achieve this goal, the MSTE group employs a wide range of innovative approaches relying on tissue engineering technologies. These approaches are based on the most advanced techniques of biofabrication, including but not limited to 3D printing, electric-field induced biofabrication, and bioprinting.
The primary focus of the MSTE group is to fabricate bioactive scaffolds able to provide pro-regenerative cues for cells that are either seeded onto or embedded within these kinds of 3D supports. Following this approach, we aim to support reconstructive surgery after tendons/ligaments injuries promoting the regeneration of functional tissue in the mid-term. Analogously, our activity aims to restore the functionality of joints affected by focal chondral defects developing functional scaffolds stimuli-responsive, with a vision toward a clinical translation in the near future. In addition, the MSTE group is leading several projects aimed to the development of highly realistic ex vivo models of pathologies affecting the musculoskeletal system. Such an activity is supported by the employment of a proprietary technology based on macro-fluidic bioreactors for the culturing of biphasic tissues in native-like conditions.
The MSTE group is actively involved in numerous collaborations with international partners, which allow the design and management of different interdisciplinary projects.  These collaborations serve as a fertile ground for the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and resources, enabling the MSTE group to push forward the boundaries of innovation. In this direction, we are developing engineered models of muscle tissue with a specific focus on fill the gap in the knowledge of the intricate interplay between the pathologies affecting the nervous system and the musculoskeletal apparatus. This groundbreaking research provides a deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying various neuromuscular disorders and facilitates the exploration of innovative therapeutic approaches.

Team

Publications

Journal Paper
Design and In Vitro Study of a Dual Drug-Loaded Delivery System Produced by Electrospinning for the Treatment of Acute Injuries of the Central Nervous System
Luisa Stella Dolci , Rosaria Carmela Perone , Roberto di Gesù, PhD , Mallesh Kurakula , Chiara Gualandi , Elisa Zironi , Teresa Gazzotti , Maria Teresa Tondo , Giampiero Pagliuca , Natalia Gostynska , Vito Antonio Baldassarro , Maura Cescatti , Luciana Giardino , Maria Letizia Focarete , Laura Calzà , Nadia Passerini , Maria Laura Bolognesi
Pharmaceutics, 13(6):848, 2021
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13060848
Journal Paper
The endophytic microbiota of Citrus limon is transmitted from seed to shoot highlighting differences of bacterial and fungal community structures
Faddetta T , Abbate L , Alibrandi P , Arancio Walter , Siino D , Strati F , De Filippo C , Fatta Del Bosco S , Carimi F , Puglia AM , Cardinale M , Gallo G *, Mercati F
Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 29;11(1):7078. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-86399-5.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86399-5
Journal Paper
Endothelial cells support osteogenesis in an in vitro vascularized bone model developed by 3D bioprinting
Irene Chiesa , Carmelo De Maria , Anna Lapomarda , Gabriele Maria Fortunato , Francesca Montemurro , Roberto di Gesù, PhD , Rocky Tuan , Giovanni Vozzi , Riccardo Gottardi, PhD
Biofabrication, 12 (2): 025013, 2020
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1758-5090/ab6a1d
Journal Paper
Programmed Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-BB and Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Delivery from a Hybrid Calcium Phosphate/Alginate Scaffold
Bayer EA , Jordan J , Roy A , Riccardo Gottardi, PhD , Fedorchak MV , Kumta PN , Little SR *
Tissue Eng Part A. 2017 Dec;23(23-24):1382-1393. doi: 10.1089/ten.TEA.2017.0027. Epub 2017 Jun 27.
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/ten.TEA.2017.0027?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed
Journal Paper
Controlled and sustained release of a corticosteroid drug from block copolymers synthetized by ATRP
Graziella Valenti , Stefania La Carta , Giovanni Mazzotti , Marco Rapisarda , Stefania Perna , Roberto di Gesù, PhD , Loris Giorgini , Domenico Carmelo Carbone , Giuseppe Recca , Paola Rizzarelli
Polymer Engineering and Science, 57(6):570-579, 2017
https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.24557
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