Jos Malda receives Proof-of-Concept grant from ERC

The Proof-of-Concept grant is an extension of an already ongoing European Research Council (ERC) funding, and amounts to €150,000. Jos Malda wants to use the money to develop a regenerative treatment for hip dysplasia.

In hip dysplasia, the hip socket is insufficiently developed, which means that the head of the hip is insufficiently covered. It is not a painful condition, but if left untreated it can cause osteoarthritis later on. The usual treatment is either the removal of some bone or the insertion of donor bone. Both procedures are invasive and have a limited success rate. 

The solution Malda envisions is regenerative: it is a 3D-printed bone implant that also encourages the body to create and develop its own bone tissue. This approach has a few major advantages. It is based on the body's own bone tissue, so no donor is needed and the tissue is not rejected. But it also has a better fit, which makes the treatment more durable, and this without complex and heavy surgery. It is also especially suitable for young patients with hip dysplasia, and for both human and animal patients.

The ERC's Proof-of-Concept grant is intended to find out whether a research idea is ready for the market. Within this project, called GRIP, Malda is therefore not only investigating what such a treatment should look like, but also how it should be used in the human and veterinary clinic.