The research and development of materials used in biomedical applications, or biomaterials, has seen rapid expansion and diversification over the last 20 years. From highly engineered synthetic polymers to biodegradable metals to naturally derived substances, their unique properties can be used for diverse functions and applications in medicine. Recently, experts from CAS, Westlake University (China), and Ortholevo, a Boston-based therapeutics company, joined together for a webinar on August 14 to highlight insights on biomaterials research and their innovation in health and medicine. Access the webinar recording here to gain both academic and commercial perspectives on specific biomaterial applications in personalized healthcare including orthopedics, wound care, and regenerative engineering.
Key highlights from the webinar
Dr. Qiongqiong Angela Zhou and Dr. Jiaxing Huang started the webinar with key highlights of how CAS and Westlake University collaborated to create a comprehensive report on the emerging landscape of biomaterials, offering a detailed scientific exploration of this field to the world.
Dr. Qiongqiong Angela Zhou continued the discussion describing the eight different areas of materials science innovation that the report covers including:
- Antibacterial materials
- Lipid-based materials
- Bioinks
- Programmable materials
- Protein-based materials
- Self-healing materials
- Bioelectronic materials
- Sustainable materials for biomedical applications
She then described how the data for this report was analyzed by natural language processing guided by domain experts to group, define, and further analyze the finalized topic areas. To conclude, she discussed general overviews, scientific journal and patent publication landscapes, and existing challenges and future outlooks for both antibacterial biomaterials and bioelectronics.
Dr. Jian Yang started his talk with a general overview of citrate in nature, consumer products, and the human body along with describing the citrate metabolic pathway in mammalian cells. With citrate being such an essential molecule within the human body and cells, Dr. Yang helped develop the first biodegradable citrate-based polymer Poly(octamethylene citrate), which has been approved by the FDA for constructing medical devices. He shared many applications of citrate-based biomaterials such as wax, cement, plates, screws, adhesives, etc., all of which are used to help treat connective tissues, bone, skin, and even the brain dura. These applications are especially useful for surgeries and bone, organ, and tissue regeneration or repair.
Dr. Benjamin Cooper, from Ortholevo, concluded the presentations by sharing his history with multiple grant-supported medical technology startups with an emphasis on translating university biomaterials research to the clinic in orthopedics and wound care. He emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for biomaterials research and development. He went on to share his work by utilizing biopolymer and synthetic polymer biomaterials to address burn wounds, osteoarthritis pain and disease progression, and frozen shoulder (motion limitation).
To wrap up, attendees asked many questions, about everything from biomaterial degradability, immunogenicity, and compatibility to funding sources for biomaterials and beyond.
Key questions from the webinar:
Are bioelectronic cells available to power internal devices using glucose and fuel cell, similarly to how our bodies/mitochondria are fueled?
Nanogenerators, specifically triboelectric and piezoelectric nanogenerators, are an important application identified in the CAS TrendScapeTM map of nanomaterials applications. These devices generate electricity from motion through charge separation when two surfaces interact (tribo) or deform (piezo). Their growing frequency in publications is likely due to their use in wearable devices such as sensors and human-machine interfaces. For more information on how nanogenerators are trending and what kinds of materials are associated with them, see this article about the nanotechnology mind map.
The collaborative effort between CAS and Westlake University focuses on biomaterials. Do you think that this process could be used to explore other areas of chemistry?
Yes, the broad scientific scope of the CAS Content Collection, our expertise in a wide range of scientific disciplines, and strong data analytics capabilities, enable us to apply this methodology to many other research areas. If people are interested, this established method could be applied to areas such as nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals, cancer, target proteins, and so on.
Do citrate biomaterials trigger an immune response?
Citrate biomaterials are synthetic polymers that do generate some immune response or inflammatory response. The biomaterials may trigger certain acute inflammation which is very important to trigger the healing process but not significant chronic inflammation.
Are there any biomaterial applications in 3D printing?
Yes, we use 3D printing for orthopedic devices such as spinal fusion disk and bone grafts for bone regeneration and repair. We are also currently working on printing our biomaterials into nerve conduits that will hopefully help heal the peripheral nerves in the body. There can be limitations such as the lack of printable materials, low speed, or low resolutions but it is still a powerful tool.
CAS Insights resources on bioinks for 3D printing include:
Which liquids or chemicals are used for the dissolution of the hydrogel applied in the wound?
There are a couple of different chemistries that can achieve that. The one that we have published on and studied the most is a thiol compound, a cysteine derivative, cysteine methyl ester, where the thiol group doesn't exchange with the chemistry that's there. There's a lot of good ability to fine tune which type of thiol can be used to have a good dissolution rate that you need.
Is there interest from funding sources such as venture capital in the areas of biomaterials?
Yes, there continues to be great grant support for biomaterials research. From a venture capital perspective, it's all often about a biomaterial in conjunction with some other therapeutic technology such as gene therapy, cell therapy, or some other more advanced therapy. It takes the interdisciplinary collaboration of biomaterial scientists plus other product developers to produce a product that's really unique, has a great value proposition, and can be investable.
Learn more
Download our comprehensive CAS Insights Report on biomaterials to learn more about the key trends shaping biomaterials research, analyzing the diverse materials being explored and their potential applications. See the recording and the associated slides from the webinar here.
