Bioactive injectable hydrogels for soft tissue regeneration

M.Era.Net-‘INJECT-BIO’ Project (Reference Number: project 7113) “Bioactive injectable hydrogels for soft tissue regeneration after reconstructive maxillofacial surgery” (https://starfos.tacr.cz/en/project/TH71020005) was implemented at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic on 1st April 2020 and will be completed on 30th September 2023.

In ‘INJECT-BIO’ project, Riga Technical University, Latvia (Co-Ordinator); Marmara University, Turkey; Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel, and Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic are involved (as a partner).

The overall objective of the INJECT-BIO project is to design, develop and fully characterize in vitro a novel injectable in situ crosslinking hydrogels for soft tissue regeneration in reconstructive surgeries, simultaneously ensuring the loco-regional release of bioactive molecules such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and Cannabis sativa extracts and/or synthetic cannabidiol (CBD), improving the chemotherapy-induced side effects and promoting cell proliferation in the wound bed.

In INJECT-BIO project, the Turkish research group will synthesize Levan hydrogels (WP1), and the Czech Republic team at CPS, TBU will synthesize physically cross linkable Bacterial Cellulose hydrogels (WP2). Both systems will be compared to gain the best base material for soft tissue regeneration. The team in Latvia will develop a liposomal delivery system of two bioactive substances IGF-1 and cannabis extract and the full characterization of the nano-drug delivery systems (size, size distribution, morphology, nanostructure) (WP3); and the evaluation of their interaction with cells in vitro will be performed by Israel (WP4). The Israeli team at Technion will investigate for the first time the effect of both biomaterials without and with loaded active cargos on the polarization of rat and human Mf which are involved in the tissue regeneration process (WP5).

The project Coordinator and Partners organizing meeting regularly to updates the progress of work (WP1-WP2, W3-W5) in Inject Bio Project. Due to Covid-19 pandemic situation, up to 5th meeting was performed online. 6th project meeting (1st offline) was held in Latvia in June 2022.In this meeting it was decided that the next meeting (i.e.,7th meeting) will be at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic on 3-4th November 2022.

It was our pleasure, to organize such international and multidisciplinary ‘INJECT-BIO’ project meeting at the premises (Centre of Polymer Systems (U17) on 3rd November 2022 and University Institute (U11) on 4th November 2022 ;Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic. Some of the pictures are included as an evidence of successful project meeting.