New Injectable Bone Material Invented For Use In Stem Cell Delivery

Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Also Included In: Bones / Orthopedics
Article Date: 16 Jun 2010 - 2:00 PDT

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A team of researchers at the University of Nottingham have invented a new class of materials that can be injected by surgeons as a low-viscosity fluid into the body that, using body heat as the only trigger, converts into a tough porous material with mechanical properties that mimic human cancellous bone.

The mechanism of converting from a liquid to solid is novel, and is so gentle that the injectable bone can carry living stem cells and temperature-sensitive protein drugs into the body without compromising their viability or functionality.

This new class of materials can be adjusted to suit the mechanical requirements of different tissues within the body and can deliver multiple cell types and drug types with excellent control over the final location of these potent regenerative signals within the body.

"Regenerative medicine holds huge promise for patients because it opens opportunities to heal tissues that would never repair spontaneously," says Kevin Shakesheff, PhD, Professor of Advanced Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Head of School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, "A powerful concept in regenerative medicine is the use of a porous material that fills the space within the body and promotes blood vessel formation, stem cell engraftment, and ultimately the formation of functional tissue."

Kevin Shakesheff will deliver his speech, Injectable bone for stem cell delivery: A material that spontaneously converts from a liquid to a porous solid via a new mechanism, at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, July 14, at the 37th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the Controlled Release Society (CRS), in the Oregon Convention Center, located in Portland, Oregon.

The Controlled Release Society (CRS) is an international society focused on the science and technologies for delivery of bioactive agents in pharmaceutical, non-pharmaceutical active ingredients, and in veterinary/animal-health related fields. The CRS Annual Meeting & Exposition is the internationally recognized conference for scientists and business development professionals in controlled release and delivery fields.

Source: American Phytopathological Society

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