(3a) Micro/Nanoengineered Adhesive Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine and Drug Delivery

Tissue engineering (TE) is a rapidly expanding field combining knowledge in biological sciences, engineering, and medicine. The main goal of TE is to develop innovative strategies for engineering tissue substitutes in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo to restore, maintain, or promote normal tissue function. Biomaterials have played an important role in the development of tissue constructs that mimic the structures, and physical and biological properties of the native tissues. However, there are still many challenges in micro and nano-engineering of biomimetic biomaterials for the development of fully functional tissue constructs. The combination of advanced biomaterials, with tunable properties, with micro- and nanoscale technologies have been shown to hold great potential to address the current challenges in tissue engineering. Our research focuses on the design and synthesis of elastic biomaterials using recombinant proteins and chemically modified naturally derived biopolymers. The engineered elastin-based biomaterials are merged with different types of nanomaterials and micro/nano-fabrication technologies to form multi-functional hydrogels for a wide range of applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. In addition, we have developed new chemistries to improve the wet tissue adhesion and toughness of these hydrogels and use them as bioadhesives and sealants for sealing and repair of soft and elastic tissues such lung, heart, skin, and cornea. Our engineered tough bioadhesives can overcome many challenges in the development and practical translation of hydrogel-based biomaterials including robust, reliable, and functional integration to wet, dynamic, and living biological tissues. Integration of innovative nano-based drug delivery systems with these bioadhesives has enabled us to expand their applications for treatment of various ocular diseases via targeted and controlled delivery of therapeutics. In this presentation, I will outline our recent work on the design and microengineering of bioadhesive hydrogels for soft tissue sealing and regeneration along with their clinical applications as matrices for drug delivery and targeted therapy.