European nAngioDerm project present at Termis 2021

nAngioDerm coordinator, Dr. Elisabeth Engel, recently participated at World Termis Congress 2021. Dr. Engel talked about cells-materials interactions to promote vascularization in one of the most important scientific conferences in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

The 6th world congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS2021) took place online last 15-19 of November, with the general theme: “Biologically inspired technology driven regenerative medicine”. The TERMIS World Congress is held every three years, and brings together researchers, scientists, clinicians, trainees and students from both academia and industry to discuss critical developments in the field.

The meeting was led by renowned keynote speakers and this year researchers presented their work in 9 parallel thematic sessions, either with oral presentations or posters. Dr. Elisabeth Engel, coordinator of nAngioDerm Project, was one of the keynote speakers. To an audience of more than 80 people, Dr. Engel gave a talk entitled “Understanding cells-materials interactions to promote vascularization”.

 

 

 

 

Tissue engineering vs in situ regeneration

As efficient vascularization of tissue engineered grafts is one of the main drawbacks for successful medical applications nowadays, she focused her talk on fabrication of scaffolds that can recreate instructive environments and send specific signals to cells to produce a fast and equilibrated vascularization. She also addressed the effect of degradation products from the scaffolds on angiogenesis and the possibility to use biomaterials that can activate angiogenesis in situ.

Dr. Engel concluded her talk by saying that 3D environments reproduction in microfluidic platforms are a promising alternative to animal testing and can advance the preclinical development of Biomaterials.

 

 

Additionally, to the keynote talk, Dr. Engel also participated as chair together with Dr. Bárbara Blanco Fernandez in the session Engineering extracellular matrices: fabrication methods, (re)cellularisation and applications in Regenerative Therapies, where Prof. Dr. Laura Delaporte talked about “Assembly of molecular and colloidal building block to grow structured tissues”.

Besides the scientific talks, other complementary actions also took place during Termis 2021, including special sessions to students and young investigators, people from industry and clinic, and dedicated to European Projects. Moreover, informal meetings and usual business plan competition stimulated the networking and interaction among participants.

Third meeting of nAngioDerm Project

 

nAngioDerm is a European Project coordinated by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) that brings together two universities, a hospital and a company specialized in the microtechnology sector for cellular biology applications. The five partners involved are developing an innovative approach to promote the in situ regeneration of damaged skin.

The project is based in nanostructured ion‐release platforms and devices that release, in a controlled manner, bioactive ions from biodegradable polymeric nanocarriers. In this context, during the last meeting, Microlight and Montpellier University presented their advances in the printed scaffolds.

Partners also showed their innovations in nanoparticle development for ion release in a controlled manner and in the evaluation of their angiogenic and antimicrobial activity. Different nanoparticles were presented, to obtain the needed ion release to promote angiogenesis and dermal healing.

Next steps for the following months are to perform physico-chemical characterizations and evaluations of the ion release and loading efficiency of the biodegradable polymeric nanocarriers. Once the characterization will be accomplished, studies of biocompatibility will be performed, as well as extracellular membrane secretions, antibacterial activity and human skin equivalent assays.

 

IBEC coordinates a project to promote skin regeneration using nanoparticles and 3D printing

Elisabeth Engel, principal investigator of the “Biomaterials for regenerative therapies” group at IBEC will coordinate a three-year project with the aim of boosting skin self-regeneration. This transnational European consortium composed of four more partners will develop the project over the next 3 years, including Dimitrios Zeugolis (University of Ioannina, Greece), Joan Pere Barret (Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Spain), Olivier Stephan (Université Grenoble-Alpes, France) and Denis Barbier (MicroLight 3D, France).

The project falls under the scope of EuroNanoMed3 programme, and the consortium will receive a total of 747.000 € through the corresponding national funding agencies of the countries involved. In particular, the “Agencia Estatal de Investigación” (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades) will fund IBEC’s contribution with 190.000 €.

Under the name of « nAngioDerm – Ion-release materials to promote Angiogenesis on DERMal regeneration » the project will focus on skin regeneration, specifically in regenerating the tissue of chronic wounds and skin burns. To reach that end, they will use nanoparticles and 3D printing to promote self-regeneration of the damaged tissues. The nAngioDerm project seeks to address the global burden of skin and subcutaneous diseases. Since 2009, it is said that such ailments affect up to 20 million people living with acute wounds, as a result of surgery or chronic skin ulcers.

nAngioDerm’s innovative approach is based on the controlled release of bioactive ions from biodegradable polymeric nanocarriers. These bioactive ions will promote cell recruitment and colonisation and provide an antibacterial effect that will facilitate reepithelisation, and therefore, wound healing. Depending on the type of skin injury, the ion-releasing nanocarriers will be combined with 3D printed collagen-based scaffolds or dispersed in a spray or microgels.

More specifically, IBEC will explore bioactive ions of biodegradable polymeric nanocarriers. This will lead to the creation of nanostructured devices that could promote in situ regeneration of damaged skin so that it wouldn’t be necessary to use growth factors for instance.

The kick-off meeting took place at IBEC facilities on the 31st October with the presence of Elisabeth Engel, Óscar Castaño, Soledad Pérez, Célia Ximenes and Sara Vicente from IBEC, Denis Barbier and Michel Bouriau from MicroLight 3D, Joan-Pere Barret from Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron and Dimitrios Zeugolis from University of Ioannina via conference call.