Biodegradable
Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering
(Tissue Engineering SIG)
Injectable, biodegradable scaffolds have immense clinical
significance in soft tissue reconstruction (including
cartilage regeneration) and bone repair. The development
of a scaffold (such as a hydrogel) that gels in situ
and is biodegradable, is a challenge that several researchers
have undertaken. The research efforts for biodegradable,
injectable scaffolds (both native and synthetic) are
increasing each year. As such, the number of researchers,
including graduate students and post-doctoral fellows,
involved in this field also increases. Additionally,
the inclusion of cells within scaffolds is facilitated
by development of techniques that allow gelation to
proceed in a mild manner, resulting in cell-laden materials
formed in situ in a desired target shape. With the advent
of stem cell therapies, the need for appropriate cell
delivery venues also intensifies.
Fibrin
Sealant and its Application in Tissue Engineering
(Tissue Engineering SIG)
The need to effectively manage hemostasis in vascular
procedures; control air leaks in pulmonary procedures;
seal cerebrospinal fluid leaks in spinal or neurological
procedures; or prevent leaks in gastrointestinal procedures
has led to the development of several sealants and adhesives
to address the clinical need. The aim of this symposium
is to:
1. Present the clinical experience with some of these
devices highlighting the materials challenges faced
in developing effective sealants and adhesives for these
applications
2. Elucidate future opportunities to develop materials
and devices that could effectuate wound care (wound
closure, wound healing, tissue regeneration etc…)
using sealant and adhesive delivery platforms.
3. The use of these biomaterials to deliver cells or
bioactive substances such as peptides or growth factors
to treat various diseases such as chronic wounds, bone
defects, Alzheimer, Parkinson diseases, etc.
The symposium will be a forum for scientists from academia
and industry to present their research, exchange ideas
and potentially identify new opportunities to develop
new materials and devices to address the clinical need
and improve surgical outcome.
Biomimesis
in Drug Delivery
(Drug Delivery SIG)
Biomimetic materials and systems are exceptional candidates
for various controlled drug delivery applications and
have enormous potential in medicine for the treatment
of disease. This session will highlight recent activities
in the field of biomimetic systems and their application
in controlled drug delivery. Biomimesis is the process
of coordinating molecular recognition and interactions
to design biological, biohybrid, and artificial materials
that can be structurally similar to and/or function
in similar ways as biological structures. In particular,
the focus of this session is on current clinical significance
for systems that mimic processes where the underlying
molecular principles are well understood. We invite
topics with emphasis in drug delivery which involve
materials consisting of (i) natural biological molecules
such as proteins, oligonucleotides and polynucleotides,
and/or unnatural biomolecules that have been assembled/synthesized
by biological systems; (ii) hybrid structures of synthetic
(e.g., polymeric chains, metal particles, etc.) and
natural biological molecules (i.e., conjugated biomaterials);
or (iii) materials consisting of man-made and in-vitro
building blocks, such as synthetic polymers, unnatural
amino acids, aptamers, helical coiled coils, materials
from configurational biomimesis or molecular imprinting
methods, polymerosomes, micelles, etc.
Dental
and Orthopaedic Implant Coatings and Materials: Characterization,
In vitro, In vivo and Clinical Assessments
(Dental Craniofacial SIG, Implant Pathology SIG)
Dental and orthopaedic materials have become widely
successful for use in implants to replace/restore teeth
and joint function. Their success has resulted from
30+-year improvement in material design and selection,
surface modifications for enhancement of tissue integration,
patient selection and clinical protocols. As our understanding
of dental and orthopaedic implant science has become
more sophisticated, implants have become easier to use,
time to completion of treatment has been shortened,
biomechanical stability has been improved and aesthetic
results have become more predictable. This symposium
presents information on the physiochemical properties
of novel surface coatings for dental and orthopaedic
implants, in vitro and in vivo evaluations of implant-host
tissue/cell interactions, and clinical and pathological
assessments of implant devices. This program will begin
highlight importance of material selection and design
and surface modifications on biological and clinical
outcomes, and new directions for future designs and
strategies for improved patient care.
Innovative
Techniques in Biomaterials Education
(Biomaterials Education SIG)
Quality teaching is the backbone of biomaterials education
and research. The objective of this symposium is to
affect the quality of biomaterials education through
providing a forum for educators to share innovative
teaching techniques. In the past, these sessions have
sparked thoughtful and practical discussions. We believe
that those in attendance will have the opportunity to
reflect on their own teaching styles. Attendance at
this session shows a commitment to effective biomaterials
education and helps to foster a proactive culture within
the SFB. Topics may include: techniques for teaching
to large classes, providing effective mentorship, different
learning styles, distance learning, internet courses,
and undergraduate research experiences.
Mechanobiology
of Skin and Bone
(Tissue Engineering SIG)
The reciprocal interactions during wound healing between
cells, components of extracellular matrices (ECM), cytokines,
and other soluble mediators are incompletely understood.
Although the overall phenomenology of repair, and correlative
patterns of interactions between ECM and cell growth/differentiation
are emerging, the detailed mechanisms that govern cell-ECM
interactions awaits elucidation. Specifically, how do
the structural features and mechanical properties of
the ECM govern cell behavior during repair? Despite
clinical success of engineered tissues to treat patients
with cutaneous injury, fundamental questions remain
unanswered about the manner in which matrix and structure
determine, influence and predict the performance of
these materials. In this symposium, studies on the mechanobiology
for hard and soft tissues will be presented.
Ophthalmic
Drug Delivery
(Ophthalmological Biomaterials SIG)
The need to provide therapy for multifactorial diseases
such as glaucoma, retinal diseases, and cataracts, and
for surgical complications such as ocular inflammation
and infection represent growing opportunities for ophthalmic
drug delivery. Strategies for specific localized and
effective delivery of therapeutic and regenerative agents
to the various segments of the eye must address barriers
to drug delivery such as tissue, blood-aqueous, and
blood-retina barriers and ultimately improve the ocular
penetration of drugs.
The scope of this symposium is to present clinical needs
along with industrially relevant strategies for improving
ophthalmic drug delivery. Emphasis will be placed on
drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye.
Cell Response
to Micro/Nanopatterned Biomaterials
(Proteins and Cells at Interfaces SIG, Surface Characterization
and Modifcation SIG)
Nanopatterning of biomaterial surfaces has emerged as
promising surface modification strategy to manipulate
protein activities, cellular functions and tissue responses.
A key characteristic of these approaches is that the
nanoscale features elicit different or enhanced responses
compared to smooth and micropatterned substrates. By
focusing on the nanopatterning theme, this symposium
will cut across different biomedical applications to
concentrate on fundamental issues related to nanoscale
interactions.
Urological
Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials
The aim of this session is to introduce the attendees
of the biomaterials community to the current clinical
needs and issues associated with reconstruction and
tissue engineering of the urinary tract. The scope,
however, will not be limited to research on tissue engineering,
but include various biomaterials and devices used for
the treatment of urological complications such as urinary
incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Submission of
abstracts from both academic and industry laboratories
is encouraged for discussion and exchange of ideas on
the topics of: bladder / urethra tissue engineering
scaffold materials, stem-cell therapy, biologically-derived
and synthetic biomaterials for incontinence and female
prolapse treatments, biomechanical evaluation of urological
tissues, etc.
Surface
Modification and Characterization of Biomaterials
The modification of the outermost surface of biomaterial
constructs continues to drive the evolution of implant
functionality. Such treatments include those that regulate
the elution of therapies, reduce the inflammatory response,
resist thrombus or biofilm formation, and those that
induce specific biological responses such as cell anchoring
and tissue in-growth. Development of ever more sophisticated
treatments demands the ability to characterize ever
subtler structures within the top nanometers of a surface.
Today’s new surface characterization methods permit
the biomaterial scientist to probe the orientation and
structure of proteins and other molecular features with
greater detail than just a few years ago. This session
will provide contributors with a venue for presenting
the latest developments in both surface modification
and characterization of biomaterials. Presenters are
invited to highlight developments in such characterization
methods as Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis
(ESCA), Time-Of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry
(TOF-SIMS), scanning probe microscopies (AFM, SNOM),
Near Edge Absorption for Fine Structure (NEXAFS), Sum
Frequency Generation (SFG), Surface Plasmon Resonance
(SPR), etc.
Orthopaedic Bearing Surfaces
Total joint replacement is one of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide. However, wear of joint replacements has been identified as one of the major factors currently limiting the life of the implants. The design and development of implants with improved performance and durability requires the development of assays that will enable the accurate determination of wear performance of materials, the development of appropriate in vitro models, and development of a deeper insight into the factors that contribute to implant wear. The symposium will bring together leading researchers from academia and industry to discuss recent research on developing novel testing methods and or /conditions to accurately determine implant wear in vitro under simulated body conditions and the factors that contribute to implant wear.
Synthetic Orthopaedic Materials
Metallic and polymeric biomaterials play a central role in current orthopaedic treatments. Even though these biomaterials combine unique bulk and surface properties that are critically important for their satisfactory performance, further refinements in material properties and the fabrication processes are needed to develop ideal implants. The aim of the symposium is to highlight the current state of the art advancements in metallic and polymeric orthopaedic biomaterials. These include fundamental studies on the properties of the tissue to be replaced, new polymeric and metallic biomaterials, surface modification of existing biomaterials and current understanding of the performance of biomaterials including mechanical behavior.
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