Skip to main content
Uncategorized

IBEC researchers have created of a new ‘smart’ biomaterial that triggers angiogenesis

By 29 de August de 2012November 18th, 2020No Comments
< Back to news
SEM micrograph of EPCs in PLA/G5 scaffolds after 7 days culture. Source: IBEC.
 29.08.2012

IBEC researchers have created of a new ‘smart’ biomaterial that triggers angiogenesis

BEC Researchers in Josep Planell's Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies group IBEC researchers have created of a new ‘smart' biomaterial that triggers angiogenesis by providing the biochemical and mechanical cues needed for the process to begin. It is the first time that a composite containing a bioactive, biodegradable glass has been proven to be directly involved in angiogenesis and the differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells.


The paper led by Elisabeth Engel, has published in the journal eCells and Materials (eCM) and reveal their calcium phosphate glass/PLA composite that itself promotes the mobilization and differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells – those that become the cells making up the lining of blood vessels.

“In regenerative medicine, successful tissue repair hinges on being able to recreate the right environment, so that the biomaterial not only acts as a scaffold for the new tissue but also contributes to the activation of the regeneration process,” explains Elizabeth. “We’ve understood the importance of the local microenvironment in determining what happens to cells thanks to recent advances in the understanding of stem cell biology and mechanosensing. With this in mind, we’ve succeeded in developing a bioactive, biodegradable biomaterial mimics a bone healing-like microenvironment that triggers the cues needed to guide the regenerative process.”

Their low-cost and easy-to-make composite sends biochemical and mechanical cues to activate two cell signaling pathways that set the bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells into action. With time they home into the right place, differentiate into the right kind of cells and start to branch into the tree-like structures we associate with blood vessels.

As well as offering exciting new therapeutic opportunities for biomaterial-based vascularization approaches and clinical applications, the discovery will help researchers build a model of the underlying biological interactions at the cell-material interface to contribute to the rational design of further pro-angiogenic smart biomaterials.