IOP Self Healing Materials
Composites
Self healing composites for bone
substitution
From an engineering point of view, bone tissue can be described as a nanocomposite
Project:
SHM08717
Participants consortium:
Project leader
Prof.dr. J.A. Jansen and dr.ir. S.Leeuwenburgh
Department of Biomaterials
Radboud University
Nijmegen Medical Center
Philips van Leijdenlaan 25
6525 EX Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Phone +31 24 361 49 20
E-mail [email protected]
E-mail [email protected]
Participants
Prof.dr.ir. J.C.M. Van Hest
Dr. D. Löwik
Radboud University
Department of Bio-organic Chemistry
P.O. Box 9010
6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
E-mail [email protected]
E-mail [email protected]
Dr. D.M. Vriezema
Encapson BV
Toernooiveld 1
6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
E-mail [email protected]
Dr. P.S. Vermeulen
FeyeCon D&I BV
Rijnkade 17a
1382 GS Weesp, The Netherlands
E-mail [email protected]
consisting of collagen (a polymeric hydrogel template) reinforced by nanosized calcium
phosphate crystals. The organic components of bone give it flexibility and resilience,
while the inorganic components give bone its hardness and rigidity.
The synergistic effect of combining organic and inorganic components is one of the
major success factors of bone as a structural material. The truly unique structural
properties of bone tissue, however, relate to its strong capacity for self-repair and
regeneration in response to injury or surgical treatment. As such, bone tissue constantly
adapts to changing biochemical/mechanical conditions by controlling the cellular
activities of bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) and bone-resorbing cells (osteoclasts).
This comprises a sensing/feedback loop that enables self healing of bone. Furthermore,
both types of bone cells can perform their respective tasks only if a pervasive vascular
network of blood vessels is present that supplies biochemical components which are
necessary for bone cell survival/function. Owing to the vascular nature of this supply
system, damaged bone can be healed repeatedly, which makes that bone can be
regarded as the ultimate example of a self healing material. Another self healing aspect
of bone relates to the sophisticated mechanism by which its extracellular matrix is
calcified. This calcification process proceeds under strong cellular control in so-called
matrix vesicles as initial sites of mineralization. Matrix vesicles are cellularly derived
structures of 40-200 nm in diameter which are distinguished from other structures in the
extracellular matrix by a limiting phospholipid membrane enclosing a central aqueous
core.
Currently, large-scale bone defects are reconstructed by implanting synthetic biomaterials
that act as permanent substitutes for damaged bone.
Unfortunately, current concepts for bone-replacing materials totally ignore the unsurpassed self healing aspects of native bone tissue. As opposed to this lack of biological
mindset, the primary goal of the current project is to implement the above-described self
healing features of bone tissue into a revolutionary composite biomaterial concept. By
Dr. G. Corstens
EMCM BV
Bio implants
Middenkampweg 17
6545 CH Nijmegen, The netherlands
E-mail [email protected]
adopting three pivotal self-repairing features from physiological bone-healing
(i.e. the incorporation of matrix vesicles, bone-forming cells, and a network of
blood vessels), traditional passive scaffolds can be transformed into instructive
bone-substituting composites. To this end, synthetic microcapsules
2008
(liposomes/polymersomes) that release bone mineral and
bioactive growth factors will be combined with injectable,
thermo­sensitive polymers in order to achieve in situ mineralization (similar to matrix vesicles) and recruitment of cells that form
bone and blood vessels. These instructive composite materials
a carefully controlled interference with the local biological
For questions about
IOP Self Healing Materials
environment.
ContactJoris Vogelaar, Program Officer
can overcome the lack of self healing capacity of diseased bone by
IOP Self Healing Materials
The project is carried out by the Department of Biomaterials at the
Telephone
+31 70 373 51 88
Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in collaboration
Fax
+31 70 373 51 00
with the Department of Bio-organic Chemistry at the Radboud
E-mail
[email protected]
University. Industrial participants include Encapson BV, FeyeCon
Website
www.senternovem.nl/iop-shm
Development & Implementation BV, and EMCM BV.
Self healing materials are a recently recognised extension of existing
structural materials. These materials have the capacity to discover and/
or repair flaws. The ambition of this IOP is to make The Netherlands
the leading player in the field of self healing materials, to develop
new self healing materials and to create new industrial activities.
Research is carried out within four areas: polymers, metals,
civil engineering materials and composites.
SenterNovem Den Haag
Juliana van Stolberglaan 3
P.O. Box 93144
2509 AC The Hague
The Netherlands
Telephone (070) 373 53 41
Fax
(070) 373 51 00
www.senternovem.nl/iop-shm
1IOPSHM0806
[email protected]
October 2008
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