Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery

Biography

Biography: Julien Bras

Abstract

Studied since the 1950s, biocompatible materials, also called biomaterials, are now used in a variety of applications such as: artificial joint implants, tissue engineering, drug release monitoring, and cell therapy. One of the most common motifs to influence cell behavior in the presence of biomaterials is to change the mechanical properties of the biomaterial substrate. This oral presentation will propose an overview of a recent project focusing on designing cellulose nanomaterials. It was hypothesized that nanocellulose-based substrates could be fabricated with various elastic moduli to change the characteristics of MSCs. All stages of material development from creating high-value added nanocomposites and their effect on stem cell behavior in culture were performed during this research. First Cellulose nanofibril films were prepared and their mechanical properties in liquid were tuned by drying procedure. Cell growth was much higher with stiffer CNF films. Composites with alginate and cellulose nanocrystals were also prepared and different stiffness values were achieved with modifying the percentage of CNC and CaCl₂ content but also by using stimuli responsive approaches. Such difference was then correlated to cell growth values. All these results will open new high value added application for nanocellulose based materials and favor cell differention but also 3D cell growth for tissue engineering or even 3D printing of bio-inks.