Research projects
AngioScaff: Angiogenesis-inducing Bioactive and Bioresponsive Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering
To enable access to the full potential of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, AngioScaff aims to develop new biomaterials based on biological design principles. Our part in this project is to develop materials based on the natural polysaccharide hyaluronic acid. Through AngioScaff, our knowledge of materials synthesis is combined with knowledge about the biological conditions for angiogenesis. This way, we will be able to create new treatments that harness the ability of the human body for self-repair.
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StemTherapy: Stem Cells for Regenerative Therapy
Recent stem cell research has opened up new possibilities within science and medicine with the hope of new methods to restore the function of damaged tissue by replacing dead or damaged cells with new and healthy cells. StemTherapy is a joint project between Uppsala University and Lund University, and aims to support the translation of basic stem cell research into new cures, therapies and diagnostics. By combining strong competences within stem cell biology and clinical cell therapy with our biomaterials knowledge, we will be able to reach new breakthroughs to solve major health problems, focusing on diabetes, stroke and hematological disorders.
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Injectable biomedical materials
In the development of the next generation of biomaterials, there is an emphasis on trying to mimic the regulatory characteristics of the substance and molecules that surrounds our own cells in our body, i.e. the natural extracellular matrix. By creating a three-dimensional environment that mimics the extracellular matrix, it is possible to control cellular growth and behavior. We have developed gels based on hyaluronic acid that are formed in less than a minute by mixing two components in an aqueous solution. To further develop these materials, this project, financed by the Swedish Research Council, aims to develop synthetic strategies for the functionalization of hyaluronic acid with reactive groups and therapeutic substances to create new bioactive gels and therapeutic materials.
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BIODESIGN: Rational Bioactive Materials Design for Tissue Regeneration
In the project BIODESIGN, a modular approach is used for the design and development of new regenerative biomaterials in order to satisfy requirements regarding the immunological, mechanical and inflammatory response of the materials. Coupled with a development of laboratory tests that can accurately predict the fate and behavior of the materials in animal trials, this allows for a more efficient development process for new, innovative therapeutic biomaterials. Using this approach, it is possible to radically reduce the number of animals and hence the time and cost associated with taking new materials and therapies from the laboratory to the clinic.
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