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Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies

ABOUT

Research in the Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies group is devoted to the development and knowledge transfer to industry of innovative biomaterials and scaffolds for tissue regeneration.

We design, fabricate and characterize bioactive and biodegradable materials and investigate their interactions with biological entities, both in terms of their fundamental aspects and with specific applications for tissue engineering purposes in mind. The aim is the repair and functional restoration of tissues or organs by means of 3D scaffolds, cells and signals.

Our research is built up in three pillars:

  • Creating microenvironments for tissue regeneration. Understanding the interaction of the designed scaffolds with the cells is the key to induce a regenerative environment. We have developed models that explain the activation of angiogenesis and neurogenesis promotion based on the biomaterials properties and the structure of the scaffold, together with the degradation products that promote a bioactive environment. During 2018 we have studied the activation of progenitor cardiac cells, recruitment and differentiation in response to these scaffolds by means of instructive matrices.
  • Translating basic research towards new developed products. We are applying Key Enabling Technologies in Biomaterials fabrication to give solutions to companies. A personalized maxillofacial substitute using 3D printing is being developed together with Avinent Implant system, SL. A new dressing that promotes the fast healing of chronic wounds, promoting cell recruitment and regeneration is now under preclinical studies.
  • Disease models. We are developing 3D models for tumor research based on cells self-produced extracellular matrices. These microtissues can be modified to culture cancer cells to simulate an ex vivo tumor that can be used for basic cancer research or drug screening. We are also developing novel bioinks for the fabrication of bioprinted platforms as 3D models and bioengineered constructs. The use of microfluidics simulating a vessel, or a cardiac tissue is another type of model that help to make a step forward on cardiac regeneration.

We are members of CIBER-BBN (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red – Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina)

We are participants of the RIS3CAT LLAVOR 3D Community, funded by ACCIO, that aims to accelerate the development and adoption of additive manufacturing and 3D printing* technologies by the industry.*

We are new members of the Red de Terapia Celular (Tercel) to collaborate with the cell therapy groups in tissue and organ regeneration.

*QuirofAM. Ecosistema d’R+D+i per la implementació i adopció de la Fabricació Additiva / Impressió 3D a la indústria de Salut (2018-2021).

El proyecto QuirofAM está enmarcado dentro de la comunidad Llavor 3D, impulsada por la Generalitat de Catalunya para acelerar y desarrollar la adaptación de la fabricación aditiva en el sector industrial y cofinanciada mediante el programa operativo FEDER Catalunya 2014-2020. El objetivo del proyecto QuirofAM es la transformación de la práctica quirúrgica mediante la incorporación de la fabricación aditiva en tres niveles: modelos de ensayo quirúrgico, guías e implantes para reconstrucción e implantes bioactivos para la generación de tejidos. Uno de los beneficios más interesantes que tiene esta tecnología en el sector biomédico es la individualización de tratamientos.

STAFF

PROJECTS

NATIONAL GRANTSFINANCERPI
DERMOGLASS · Desenvolupament d’un producte sanitari amb partícules inorgàniques pel tractament de ferides (2021 – 2023)ACCIÓ, INNOTECElisabeth Engel
DERMOGLASS · Fabricació i avaluació d’un prototip d’apòsit per a la cicatrització de ferides (2020-2022)AGAUR · Ajuts Producte destinats a l’obtenció de prototipus i a la valorització i transferència dels resultats d’investigació generada per equips de recerca de Catalunya.Elisabeth Engel
nAngioDerm · Materiales liberadores de iones para promover la angiogénesis en regeneración dérmica (2019-2022).MINECO, Acciones de Programación Conjunta InternacionalElisabeth Engel
BASE3D · Agrupació en tecnologies emergents en fabricació aditiva (2019 – 2022)RIS3CAT · Tecnologies EmergentsJosep Samitier
BIOCARDIO · Bioingeniería de constructos basados en biomateriales para la regeneración cardiaca (2019-2021).MICIU, Retos investigación: Proyectos I+DElisabeth Engel
 TERCEL · Red de terapia celular (2018-2022). MINECO – ISCIII, Redes temáticas de investigación cooperativa en salud Elisabeth Engel
PRIVATELY FUNDED PROJECTSFINANCERPI
DERMOGLASS · Smart dressing for the treatment of chronic wounds (2019-2022).Obra Social “la Caixa” · CaixaImpulseElisabeth Engel
FINISHED PROJECTSFINANCERPI
QuirofAM. Ecosistema d’R+D+i per la implementació i adopció de la Fabricació Additiva / Impressió 3D a la indústria de Salut (2018-2021).ACCIO, Acreditació de comunitats RIS3CAT i la selecció de projectes col·laboratius de recerca, desenvolupament i innovacióElisabeth Engel
NAngiofrac EuronanomedElisabeth Engel
THE GRAIL · Tissue in Host Engineering Guided Regeneration of Arterial Intimal Layer (2012-2016).HEALTHElisabeth Engel
DERMOGLASS · Smart dressing for the treatment of chronic wounds (2016-2017).Obra Social La Caixa, Caixaimpulse, EIT HealthXavier Puñet
Diseño y desarrollo de biomateriales bioactivos para la regeneración de la piel basada en la señalización controlada de liberación de iones (2013-2016).I+D-Investigación fundamental no orientadaElisabeth Engel
Andamios diseñados para promover una vascularización eficiente para fracturas óseas no consolidadas (2012-2016).I+D-Investigación fundamental no orientadaOscar Castaño
INSBIOMAT · Biomateriales instructivos para regeneración cardíaca in vivo (2015-2016).MINECO, Acciones Dinamización “Europa Excelencia”Elisabeth Engel
BIOTENDON · Tendon Tissue Engineering: A Helping Hand for Rotator Cuff Tears.RECERCAIXAElisabeth Engel
Nous models de bioimpressió 3D d’os per a ús maxil·lofacial (2017-2019).MINECO, Retos investigación: Proyectos I+DElisabeth Engel
MICARE · Creación de microentornos para la regeneración cardíaca in vivo (2017-2019).MINECO, Acciones Dinamización Europa InvestigaciónElisabeth Engel
MatriCell · Desarrollo de partículas poliméricas para generar matrices extracelulares in vitro (2016-2019).MINECO, Retos investigación: Proyectos I+DElisabeth Engel
State of the Art Research on Expandable Materials (2017-2018).TUCSE, S.LMiguel Ángel Mateos

PUBLICATIONS

EQUIPMENT

  • Surface characterization equipment (contact angle, Z potential, nanoindenter)
  • Cell culture facilities
  • Molecular Biology equipment: protein and DNA electrophoresis
  • Thermocycler (PCR)
  • Rapid prototyping tool (part of the Production of biomaterials and nanoparticles platform of the CIBER-BBN)
    http://www.ciber-bbn.es/programas/plataformas/equipamiento/biomateriales?nodo=nodo2&locale=en
  • Peptide synthetiser
  • Combustion furnace
  • Electrospinning device
  • Spin-coater
  • Vibrational viscosimeter

COLLABORATIONS

  • Dr. Ernest Mendoza
    Applied Nanomaterials Laboratory, Research Centre in Nanoengineering, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC, BarcelonaTech), Spain
  • Dr. Izabella Rajzer
    Institute of Textile Engineering and Polymer Materials, University of Bielsko-Biala, Poland
  • Dr. José María Mora
    Servei de cirurgia ortopédica i traumatológica, Consorci Hospital de Terrassa, Spain
  • Dr. Mercè Alsina
    Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Spain
  • Prof. Didier Letourneur
    Laboratoire de Bioingénierie Cardiovasculaire, INSERM, University Denis Diderot-Paris 7, Paris, France
  • Prof. Dirk Grijpma
    Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, University of Twente, Twente, the Netherlands
  • Prof. Francesco Serino
    Department of Vascular Surgery, Istituto Dermatologico dell’Immacolata (IDI), Rome, Italy
  • Dr. Jerónimo Blanco
    Institut de Ciències Cardiovasculars de Catalunya and CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
  • Dr. Joelle Amedee
    INSERM, University of Bordeaux Segolen, Bordeaux, France
  • Dr. José Becerra Ratia
    Dept. Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
  • Dr. Margarita Calonge
    Institute of Ophthalmobiology (IOBA), Universidad de Valladolid, Spain
  • Dr. José Carlos Rodríguez-Cabello
    Dept. de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain
  • Prof. Kevin Healy
    Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, USA
  • Prof. Jaume Veciana
    NANOMOL, Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Spain
  • Dr. Diego Gutiérrez de la Iglesia (MD)
    Pediatric orthopaedic surgery, San Juan de Dios Hospital, Spain
  • Prof. Wouter J.A. Dhert & Dr. Jos Malda
    Department of Orthopaedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Prof. Andrés J. García, F.B.S.E.
    Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
  • Dr. Luigi Ambrosio
    Institute of Polymers, Composites & Biomaterials, National Research Council, Naples, Italy
  • Prof. Carlos Semino
    Grupo de Insuficiencia Cardíaca y Regeneración Cardíaca (ICREC), IQS School of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull
  • Dr. Antonio Sinovas
    Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research
  • Dr. Dimitrios Zeugolis
    Biomedical Engineering (Biomaterials) at NUI Galway
  • Dr. Aitor Aguirre
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, MSU, Michigan, US
  • Prof. Joao Mano
    CICECO, A
    veiro University, Portugal
  • Prof. Gino Ambrosio
    Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II: Napoli, Campania, Italy
  • Prof. Timothy Thomson
    IBMB-CSIC, Barcelona
  • Dr. Elena Rebollo
    IBMB-CSIC, Barcelona
  • Dr. Jordi Camps
    Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Oncology Group, Institut D’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS)
  • Dr. Olivier Stephan
    Univ-grenoble-alpes, France
  • Prof. Humberto Palza
    Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Biotecnología y Materiales, Universidad de Chile
  • Prof. Borros
    IQS, Barcelona
  • Dr. Judith Guasch
    ICMAB, Barcelona
  • Dr. Elena Xuriguera
    DIOPMA, University of Barcelona
  • Dr. Carlos Aleman
    EEBE, UPC
  • Dr. Felip Fenollosa
    Centre CIM, UPC
  • Prof. Aurora Hernandez-Machado
    Estructura i
    Constituents de la Materia, University of Barcelona
  • Avinent Implant System, SL
    Sant
    Pedor, Spain
  • Laboratorios ERN
    Barcelona, Spain
  • Microlight3D
    France
  • Vecmedical SL
    Barcelona
  • Dr. Roberto Vélez
    Orthopedic oncology and Traumatology department, Vall d’Hebron Hospital
  • Dr. Joan-Pere Barret
    Head of the Plastic Surgery and Burns Service at Hospital Vall d’Hebron
  • Dr. Antoni Compte Verdeguer
    Orthopedic and Traumatology pediatric surgeon, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
  • Dr. Jose María Moraleda
    Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia

NEWS

The IBEC researcher, Zaida Álvarez, has been awarded the 2nd edition of the Mike Lane Scholarship. Thus, Dr. Álvarez has been awarded, for her research in innovative regenerative therapies, almost €17,000, contributed by more than 75 patrons through a micro-patronage campaign and by the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia.

The IBEC Researcher, Zaida Álvarez Awarded the Mike Line Scholarship

The IBEC researcher, Zaida Álvarez, has been awarded the 2nd edition of the Mike Lane Scholarship. Thus, Dr. Álvarez has been awarded, for her research in innovative regenerative therapies, almost €17,000, contributed by more than 75 patrons through a micro-patronage campaign and by the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia.

A project led by Elisabeth Engel aimed to fabricate and test a dressing prototype for wound healing, and another project led by Javier Ramón with the goal of developing an artificial liver, have been granted by the Knowledge Industry Programme of the Catalan Government.

Two IBEC projects granted by “Knowledge Industry Call” of the Catalan Government

A project led by Elisabeth Engel aimed to fabricate and test a dressing prototype for wound healing, and another project led by Javier Ramón with the goal of developing an artificial liver, have been granted by the Knowledge Industry Programme of the Catalan Government.

Elisabeth Engel from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) appears in different media for the Dermoglass technology, the first project financed by the CaixaImpulse program to be licensed to a pharmaceutical company.

Dermoglass in the media

Elisabeth Engel from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) appears in different media for the Dermoglass technology, the first project financed by the CaixaImpulse program to be licensed to a pharmaceutical company.

Dermoglass becomes the first project funded by the CaixaImpulse program to be licensed to a pharmaceutical company, Laboratorios ERN. It is a new technology to tackle chronic ulcers developed by the research group “Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies” led by Dr. Elisabeth Engel at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), who is also Professor at Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC).

Dermoglass technology takes the leap into the pharmaceutical industry

Dermoglass becomes the first project funded by the CaixaImpulse program to be licensed to a pharmaceutical company, Laboratorios ERN. It is a new technology to tackle chronic ulcers developed by the research group “Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies” led by Dr. Elisabeth Engel at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), who is also Professor at Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC).

Aurora Dols and Zaida Álvarez, researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), receive the prestigious fellowships Beatriu de Pinós, awarded by the Catalan Government for the incorporation of highly qualified postdoctoral researchers into the Catalan research system.

Two IBEC researchers receive a Beatriu de Pinós fellowship

Aurora Dols and Zaida Álvarez, researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), receive the prestigious fellowships Beatriu de Pinós, awarded by the Catalan Government for the incorporation of highly qualified postdoctoral researchers into the Catalan research system.

The new 3D hydrogels provide high rates of cell proliferation, as they mimic lymph nodes, where T-cells reproduce in vivo. A new project, led by researchers from ICMAB and IBEC, and with the collaboration of VHIO and UIC, wants to transfer this technology to hospitals. Cancer immunotherapy is based on using and strengthening the patient’s own immune system to recognize and fight tumor cells, without damaging healthy tissues.

3D printed hydrogels for cancer immunotherapy T-cell growth

The new 3D hydrogels provide high rates of cell proliferation, as they mimic lymph nodes, where T-cells reproduce in vivo. A new project, led by researchers from ICMAB and IBEC, and with the collaboration of VHIO and UIC, wants to transfer this technology to hospitals. Cancer immunotherapy is based on using and strengthening the patient’s own immune system to recognize and fight tumor cells, without damaging healthy tissues.

Three protagonists of the medical research field in Spain debated in a new edition of the “Pioneros Santander” forum, organized virtually by El País Retina. Elisabeth Engel, group leader of Biomaterials for regenerative therapies at IBEC, Rocío Arroyo, CEO of Amadix and Eduardo Jorgensen, of Medicsen, also CEO, agreed to celebrate the greatest interest in their work area, the intersection between science, technology and health, but at the same time they were cautious: there are no shortcuts in research, neither before Covid-19 nor after.

Elisabeth Engel at Santander Pioneros: it’s time to support science

Three protagonists of the medical research field in Spain debated in a new edition of the “Pioneros Santander” forum, organized virtually by El País Retina. Elisabeth Engel, group leader of Biomaterials for regenerative therapies at IBEC, Rocío Arroyo, CEO of Amadix and Eduardo Jorgensen, of Medicsen, also CEO, agreed to celebrate the greatest interest in their work area, the intersection between science, technology and health, but at the same time they were cautious: there are no shortcuts in research, neither before Covid-19 nor after.

Bioengineering is a core discipline for the medicine of the future, and Europe knows that. Proof of this is that the European Union (EU) has granted during the last months the coordination of three European projects to the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) to continue combining medicine, science and technology with the aim of improving people’s health. The first one is the BRIGHTER project that is led by Professor Elena Martínez, the head of the ‘Biomimetic Systems for Cell Engineering’ group. The EU has contributed to this initiative that will be used by the consortium partners to develop an innovative high resolution 3D bioprinting technology able to fabricate 3D cell culture substrates which could be useful to produce artificial organs in the future.

IBEC leads three new European projects

Bioengineering is a core discipline for the medicine of the future, and Europe knows that. Proof of this is that the European Union (EU) has granted during the last months the coordination of three European projects to the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) to continue combining medicine, science and technology with the aim of improving people’s health. The first one is the BRIGHTER project that is led by Professor Elena Martínez, the head of the ‘Biomimetic Systems for Cell Engineering’ group. The EU has contributed to this initiative that will be used by the consortium partners to develop an innovative high resolution 3D bioprinting technology able to fabricate 3D cell culture substrates which could be useful to produce artificial organs in the future.

Application Deadline: 27/05/2020Ref: SR-EE The Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for a Senior Researcher to work on the development of new platforms for skin regeneration. The contract will be within the framework of nAngioderm, an Euronanomed project, whose objective is to develop devices based on nanotechnology and drug delivery tools able to address the healing of acute and chronic wounds.

Senior Researcher at the Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies Group

Application Deadline: 27/05/2020Ref: SR-EE The Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) is looking for a Senior Researcher to work on the development of new platforms for skin regeneration. The contract will be within the framework of nAngioderm, an Euronanomed project, whose objective is to develop devices based on nanotechnology and drug delivery tools able to address the healing of acute and chronic wounds.

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) will contribute its extensive experience in 3D printing and bioprinting to the BASE 3D community, an entity that brings together research centers and companies from all over Catalonia with the aim of promoting R+D+i in the field of printing 3D. The groups led by Josep Samitier, Elisabeth Engel, Núria Montserrat and Javier Ramón at IBEC are joining the BASE3D project.

IBEC joins the BASE3D community to contribute to the future of 3D printing

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) will contribute its extensive experience in 3D printing and bioprinting to the BASE 3D community, an entity that brings together research centers and companies from all over Catalonia with the aim of promoting R+D+i in the field of printing 3D. The groups led by Josep Samitier, Elisabeth Engel, Núria Montserrat and Javier Ramón at IBEC are joining the BASE3D project.

JOBS