The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) https://darpa.mil awarded $22 million to a research team led by the University of Pittsburgh https://www.upmc.com to develop a device. The device being developed will combine AI, bioelectronics, and regenerative medicine and will be used to help regrow muscle tissue especially after combat injuries.
The University of Pittsburgh along with researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, Rice University, University of Vermont, University of Wisconsin and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, will also take part in the four year initiative.
Stephen Badylak, D.V.M., PhD., MD, Professor of Surgery at Pitt and Deputy Director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, envisions creating a device that will change the environment inside larger wounds to help them heal the way smaller wounds heal naturally.
This would be accomplished by using a smart device implanted inside the wound that will monitor key molecular signals at each stage of healing from the first hours after injury and at that point, deliver specific molecules at specific times under the direction of AI.
The first two years of the project will involve developing the device. The next two years will involve close collaboration with surgeons at Walter Reed, who treat patients with major muscle loss, and the next step is to refine the design so that it is suitable for use where needed.
Researchers will also be working with industry partners and FDA to identify and clear regulatory hurdles that might slow down clinical translation. As Dr. Badylak said, “We’re developing the science and the device in mostly an academic setting but at the same time, we must consider regulatory and industry requirements.”