Redefining Identity of Disease, Tissues and Cells – a Biomaterials Paradigm
Abhay Pandit
Abhay.pandit@nuigalway.ie
CÚRAM, Center for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Biomaterials are no longer considered innate structures and using functionalisation and biofabrication strategies to modulate a desired response whether it is a host or implant is currently an important focus in current research paradigms. Fundamentally, a thorough understanding of the host response will enable us to design appropriate strategies. The input from the host response needs to be weighed in depending on the host disease condition. In addition, biomaterials themselves provide immense therapeutic benefits which needs to be accounted in the design paradigm. Using functionalisation strategies such as enzymatic and hyperbranched linking systems, we have been able to link biomolecules to different structural moieties. The programmed assembly of biomolecules into higher-order self-organized systems is central to innumerable biological processes and development of the next generation of biofabricated scaffolds. Recent design efforts have utilized a glycobiology and developmental biology approach toward both understanding and engineering supramolecular protein and sugar assemblies. Structural moieties have taken a variety of different forms such as nanofibers and nanoparticulate. This approach has resulted in functionalisation of micro and nanoparticles with biomolecules that include designed peptide motifs, growth factors and a multitude of gene vector systems. In addition, nature itself has abundant structural complexity that can be biofabricated for harnessing in key targeted clinical applications.
References
Thomas, D., Fontana, G., Chen, X., Sanz-Nougés, C., Zeugolis, D., Dockery, P., O’Brien, T. and Pandit, A. ‘A Shape-controlled Tuneable Microgel Platform to Modulate Angiogenic Paracrine Responses in Stem Cells.’ Biomaterials. 2014: 35(31): 8757-66.
Lang, Y., del Monte, F., Collins, L., Rodriguez, B.J., Thompson, K., Dockery, P., Finn, D.P. and Pandit, A. ‘Functionalization of the Living Diatom Thalassiosira Weissflogii with Thiol Moieties.’ Nature Communications. 2013: 4: 3683
Tapeinos, C. and Pandit, A. ‘Physical, Chemical and Biological Structures based on ROS-sensitive Moieties that are able to respond to Oxidative Microenvironments.’ Advanced Materials. 2016: 28(27): 5553-5585
Mohd Isa IL, Abbah SA, Kilcoyne M, Sakai D, Dockery P, Finn DP, Pandit A. Implantation of Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Prevents the Pain Phenotype in a Rat Model of Intervertebral Disc Injury. Sci Adv. 2018 Apr 4;4(4):eaaq0597
Bio
Abhay Pandit is the Director of a Science Foundation Ireland funded Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM) at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Prof Pandit’s postgraduate work focussed on the modification of a fibrin scaffold to deliver a therapeutic biomolecule and resulted in a clinical trial at the Burn Centre at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Prof. Pandit is listed in the International Who’s Who of Professionals and is listed in Who’s Who in American Universities. Prof. Pandit’s subsequent research in the Wound Care R & D Group at The Kendall Company resulted in a patent and FDA approval for a commercial wound dressing. Prof. Pandit led the Biomaterials Research Group at Surgical Sealants, Inc. where he received IDE approval for a collagen-based vascular sealant. He has received FDA 510k approval for a hydrophilic wound dressing. Prof Pandit has over twenty-five years of experience in the field of biomaterials. After a seven-year stint in industry he has worked in academia for the last twelve years.
More on Prof Abhay Pandit: http://www.nuigalway.ie/our-research/people/engineering-and-informatics/abhaypandit/