Cruces Hospital (Bizkaia) and Mondragon University (MU) are collaborating on three biomedical R&D projects within the framework of a cooperation agreement which was signed by both bodies at the beginning of 2008. Work will continue until the summer of next year, and the projects are markedly multidisciplinary as they combine the expertise of doctors and engineers. The collaboration between these two institutions focuses on two areas: biomaterials and regenerative medicine on one hand and the use of semantic web technology for diagnosis on the other.

The first project falls within the sphere of biomaterials, and consists of the cultivation of stem cells for the regeneration of tissue for the locomotor apparatus. In particular, it studies the regeneration (in the laboratory) of articular cartilage for its later implantation into the patient, and the suitability of different materials for use as a three-dimensional scaffold that will help cells grow and that biodegrades as the tissue regenerates. The objective is the development of new therapeutic procedures for cartilage injuries that will enable doctors to carry out less invasive operations.

The other two projects involve semantic web technology, using software that can automatically collect, filter and process information, make inferences about this information and interact with the environment without need for supervision or constant checking by the user. This technology is being applied in two IT projects that cover the diagnosis of breast cancer and the identification of infections that are acquired in hospitals.

Breast cancer is the most common type of malign tumour among the female population, as every year 40 cases are diagnosed among every 100,000 women; the project has set out to develop a computer support system for doctors when deciding on which decisions to adopt in the treatment of the cancer.

The third project is aimed at a quicker and more precise identification of infections acquired by patients during their stay in hospital, which are known as nosocomial infections and which pose one of the most serious threats to patient safety with the greatest repercussions and cost, both in terms of the individual’s health and in economic terms for the health centre. The aim of the project is to provide strategic preventive intervention and effective control of this type of infection.