Learning from nature : sea urchin tissues as a source of inspiration for biomaterial design : The MIMESIS project
Altro
Data di Pubblicazione:
2011
Citazione:
Learning from nature : sea urchin tissues as a source of inspiration for biomaterial design : The MIMESIS project / M. Sugni, R. Bacchetta, A. Barbaglio, M.A. Barbosa, F. Bonasoro, C. Di Benedetto, A.P. Lima, A.R. Ribeiro, C.C. Ribeiro, F. Ferreira da Silva, S. Tricarico, I.C. Wilkie, M.D. Candia Carnevali. ((Intervento presentato al convegno NanotechItaly tenutosi a Mestre (Ve) nel 2011.
Abstract:
The natural world has often provided ideas and solutions (resulting from billions of years of trials, successes and failures) for different human applied fields such as architecture, engineering and medicine. In particular, biological tissues have been an immense source of inspiration, having been mimicked (biomimetic approach) and used for novel material design and production [1]. Among the best-known examples are velcro, inspired by the the burrs (seeds) of burdock and racing swimwear that mimics rough shark denticles to reduce water drag. Connective tissue is the most important animal structural material and it (or its components) is often used as source of inspiration/model for different applications. Its main extracellular matrix (ECM) component is collagen, a bioresorbable weakly immunogenic and inextensible protein, widely used in pharmaceutics, cosmetics and biomedicine [2]. Currently, industrially available collagen is mainly of bovine origin which may carry a risk of transmission of serious diseases (BSE and TSE). Therefore alternative and safer sources of collagen are needed. Aquatic organisms are potentially such a source that has already begun to be exploited ([3-7]).
The biomimetic approach represents a new strategy being pursued also in the field of human regenerative medicine. Nevertheless, existing biomaterials lack the inherent adaptability of natural tissues; in fact they do not mimic a structurally dynamic environment. Regenerating tissues, instead, are necessarily continuously dynamic environments: throughout the regenerative processes they have to constantly change both their mechanical and 3D structure as well as their composition. The regenerating tissue has to develop from a preliminary cell organization into a functional and well-defined structure. Incorporating the novel concept of dynamic self-assembly into a naturally derived (collagenous) scaffold would constitute a radical step beyond the existing intelligent matrices for tissue engineering and would represent progress towards more physiologically-responsive biomaterials for regenerative medicine.
The MIMESIS project: objectives and approach
The MIMESIS (Marine Invertebrates Models & Engineered Substrates for Innovative bio-Scaffolds) project, started in 2010 and funded by the Cariplo Foundation, was developed within this scientific context. The main idea behind this project is to use as a source of inspiration very common marine animals: the well-known sea urchins. These animals (as well as their close relatives starfish and sea cucumbers, belonging to the zoological group called “echinoderms”) possess peculiar and unique connective tissues, called Mutable Collagenous Tissues (MCTs) [8]. Echinoderm collagen resembles type-I collagen of mammals, in terms of structure and amino acid composition. MCTs represent a potential alternative source of collagen, economically advantageous and ecologically “friendly” since it can be obtained from “waste material” discarded by the sea urchin food industry. More intriguing, MCTs undergo extremely rapid, drastic and reversible/irreversible changes (independent of any muscular contribution) in their passive mechanical properties such as stiffness, tensile strength and viscosity [8]. There is evidence that MCTs are one of the key elements of the striking regenerative capacities found in echinoderms, since they provide optimal growth-promoting environments and “dynamic” structures for tissue repair and regeneration [8].
The ultimate challenge of the project is to explore the possible development of a new class of biomimetic materials inspired by sea urchin MCTs, which can be used for cell culture scaffolds and/or biomedical applications.
The research work is now under development accordin
Tipologia IRIS:
14 - Intervento a convegno non pubblicato
Elenco autori:
M. Sugni, R. Bacchetta, A. Barbaglio, M.A. Barbosa, F. Bonasoro, C. Di Benedetto, A.P. Lima, A.R. Ribeiro, C.C. Ribeiro, F. Ferreira da Silva, S. Tricarico, I.C. Wilkie, M.D. Candia Carnevali
Link alla scheda completa: