Engineering news
The approach, which the team said aims to “work with biology instead of recreating it”, was developed by engineers at the University of Nottingham.
Already used to successfully repair bones in animal testing, the method involves creating ‘biocooperative’ materials based on blood, which could enable personalised regenerative therapies for injury or disease.
The researchers developed a ‘self-assembling methodology’ for the materials, which combine blood from the patient with synthetic peptides, molecules that can guide key processes taking place during natural healing.
The resulting material “harnesses key molecules, cells, and mechanisms of the natural healing process”, the team said, mimicking and even enhancing the regenerative hematoma (RH), a living microenvironment comprising key cells, macromolecules, and other factors that orchestrate regeneration.
These materials can be assembled, manipulated, and even 3D printed while maintaining normal functions of the natural RH, the researchers said, such as normal platelet behaviour and recruitment of relevant cells important for healing.
“For years, scientists have been looking at synthetic approaches to recreate the natural regenerative environment, which has proven difficult given its inherent complexity. Here, we have taken an approach to try to work with biology instead of recreating it,” said biomedical engineer Professor Alvaro Mata, who led the study.
“This ‘biocooperative’ approach opens opportunities to develop regenerative materials by harnessing and enhancing mechanisms of the natural healing process. In other words, our approach aims to use regenerative mechanisms that we have evolved with as fabrication steps to engineer regenerative materials.”
Co-author Dr Cosimo Ligorio said: “The possibility to easily and safely turn people’s blood into highly regenerative implants is really exciting. Blood is practically free and can be easily obtained from patients in relatively high volumes. Our aim is to establish a toolkit that could be easily accessed and used within a clinical setting to rapidly and safely transform patients’ blood into rich, accessible, and tuneable regenerative implants.”
The research was published today (15 November) in Advanced Materials.
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.