Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies

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.

Elisabeth Engel López

Group Leader

+34 934 020 210

eengelibecbarcelona.eu

Researcher profile

Former Member
Prof. Josep Planell | Director, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)

• 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

• 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, Aveiro 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