| Aix-Marseille - iGEM 2025

Osteoporosis: A Global Health Challenge

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease worldwide, affecting over 200 million people. It involves reduced bone mineral density and deterioration of bone microarchitecture.

Current treatments like bisphosphonates, SERMs, and anabolic agents have serious side effects: jaw osteonecrosis, atypical fractures, a 3x higher risk of thromboembolism, hypercalcemia, and high costs.

With the global population aging, hip fractures due to osteoporosis are projected to increase by 310% in men and 240% in women by 2050.

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million people affected by osteoporosis worldwide

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% of postmenopausal women will suffer an osteoporotic fracture

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% of men over 50 will experience a fracture

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$ billion annual cost of osteoporotic fractures in Europe

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Human Practice : Listening to Patient needs

The development of a living medicine requires dialogue with the public it is intended for. We engaged in proactive discussions with various communities to educate, listen, and integrate societal considerations into our design process.

Key identified needs : more effective treatments to rebuild bone, reduced side effects, simpler and less frequent administration, and a better quality of life for osteoporosis patients

Pathological Mechanism: Oxidative Stress and ROS

Osteoporosis is characterized by an imbalance between bone resorption and formation, driven by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS).

Following a bone fracture or injury, the microenvironment experiences significant oxidative stress and an overproduction of ROS. This damages cells, causes inflammation, and reduces regeneration. ROS promote bone degradation by increasing osteoclast activity while inhibiting osteoblast function.

Our Innovative Solution: An Encapsulated Melanin Factory

We are developing a novel therapeutic approach that combines synthetic biology and biomaterials to create an in-situ drug factory.

Our concept : Locally inject a hydrogel containing perfectly contained, engineered bacteria. These bacteria continuously produce and secrete melanin. Our system uses the AIDA system to display the tyrosinase Tyr1 enzyme on the cell surface, enabling extracellular melanin production with absolute biological containment.

Towards a Future Without Osteoporotic Fractures

Living Scaffolds represents a major breakthrough in osteoporosis treatment, combining scientific innovation with a patient-centered approach.

Our technology has the potential to transform the lives of millions of osteoporosis patients by offering a truly regenerative solution with key advantages: local administration, sustained release, a superior safety profile, and robust biological containment.

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