8.9 Collaborations

8.9 Collaborations

AO Research Institute – Sun Yat-sen University Webinar Series

The quarterly ARI – Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) webinars were organized by Prof Zhen Li (ARI) and Prof Zhiyu Zhou (SYSU) on 12.03.2021, 10.06.2021, 02.09.2021, and 09.12.2021. The goal of this webinar series was to share the most recent research from both institutes and other scientific partners of ARI in China. High quality presentations and active discussions within these webinars facilitate the continuation of current collaborations and build new collaboration initiatives between the institutes. The topics covered by these webinars include intervertebral disc degeneration treatment with hyaluronic acid and mesenchymal stem cells secretome, postnatal limb development of mice based on single-cell RNA-Seq, multifunctional magnesium incorporated scaffolds by 3D-Printing for comprehensive bone defect repair, mechanical stimulation-based biomimetic biomaterials for bone regeneration, role of multiaxial load on cartilage differentiation, multifunctional nanodrugs and biomaterials for osteosarcoma treatment and related bone defect repair, delivery of anti-infective agents with microparticles, and single-cell transcriptional atlas of immune cells in spinal cord injury and its application in spinal cord repair.

ARI-SYSU webinar, held on June 10th, 2021.

ARI Chinese Fellows and team members, 2021.

AO Research Institute Davos scientists awarded synchrotron Diamond Light Source (DLS) experimental time

Diamond Light Source (DLS) is the synchrotron placed in the United Kingdom. It effectively harnesses the power of electrons travelling near the speed of light to produce bright X-ray light that can be used to study structure and dynamics of all sorts of materials, spanning atomic, molecular, and biological matter, in real time. This machine is 10,000 times more powerful than a traditional microscope. As part of several ongoing projects (ImmunoBioInks, INDEED and BBCE), Jacek Wychowaniec (from Biomedical Materials Focus Area) and the interdisciplinary team were awarded a beamtime (SM29767) to perform a series of measurements to reveal the role of molecular interactions between hyaluronic acid (HA) and biopolymers for the design of next generation functional hydrogels for musculoskeletal repair. The measurements take place at Diamond Light Source beamline B21, a small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) instrument. One remaining issue when tackling musculoskeletal tissue regeneration is the design of proper functioning matrix that not only supports regeneration but also modulates immune system or provides antibacterial moieties keeping homeostasis. HA is an anionic, nonsulphated glycosaminoglycan widely distributed throughout connective, epithelial, and neural tissues. Recent reports indicate that HA can be chemically modified with amino acids to increase cross-linking densities and achieve better control over physicochemical properties of formed hydrogels or to obtain increased bioactivity with additional short peptide sequences (e.g., RGD, a cell binding specific motif). Understanding structure-function relationships of HAbased functional materials combining biocompatibility and stable long-term bioactivity is therefore of high interest in multiple tissue engineering (TE) applications and in biomedical 3D 32

printing. This project is heavily supported by the local beamline contact and Jacek's collaborator, Dr Charlotte Edwards-Gayle - an enthusiastic early career stage researcher working in the antimicrobial peptides area. Together, by bringing the capabilities of DLS and expertise of Dr Edwards-Gayle we expect to advance our understanding of the importance of molecular interactions between HA and its modifications with self-assembling peptides and collagen to allow better designs of hydrogels for future musculoskeletal tissue engineering applications, including immunomodulation, antimicrobial resistance and generating printed models.

Participants/Team

Dr Jacek Wychowaniec, AO Research Institute Davos; Dr Charlotte Edwards-Gayle, Diamond Light Source; Dr Matteo D'Este, ARI; Mr Gregor Miklosic, ARI; Mr Artemijs Sceglovs, Riga Technical University; Dr sc ing Kristine Salma-Ancane, Riga Technical University

ARI participates in a new international consortium for the development of research in musculoskeletal biomanufacturing with Chilean scientists

Francisco Verdugo, a dental surgeon, and a PhD student at Jorge's Roberto Toledo Alonso group at the University of Concepción in Chile (UdeC), has recently initiated and contributed to building on new Tissue Engineering Unit in the faculty of Biological Sciences. Concepción in a coastal city located in south Chile in the Biobío Region, which is focused on promoting innovation and research in line with the national vision of the "Regional Development Strategy 2015-2030", which includes the intention that the region "is inserted in the world, prioritizing the generation of knowledge, research, technology, talent attraction, innovation and entrepreneurship." In this spirit, Francisco Verdugo reached out to Jacek Wychowaniec from the Biomedical Materials Focus Area at ARI to start a new international consortium in this area and continue on some mutual ideas to develop "Active Bone-Gels, a next generation osteogenic cell-free scaffolds for critical size bone tissue repair. In December 2021 this project has been successfully funded by the National Agency for Research and Development in Chile (Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo de Chile). This project has special relevance for the healthcare area, specifically musculoskeletal, due to the accelerated ageing of local population, mainly in the Metropolitan, Valparaíso, and Biobío regions in Chile. This is causing an increase in bone pathologies (e.g., osteoporosis) and an increase in derived surgeries. This project will support the development of an innovation cluster in tissue engineering and strengthen the production of new innovative products in favor of new therapeutic measures for bone regeneration with a high impact potential, both in the Region of Biobío, nationally and internationally. ARI scientists will contribute their knowledge in a form of bilateral series of seminars and virtual teaching, on the interdisciplinary topics of bone regeneration and biomaterials designs. Furthermore, ARI scientists will support preliminary design and testing (rheology, 3D printing) of an Active Bone-Gel, deriving sufficient preliminary data to yield future larger-scale collaborative grants.

Participants/Team

Jorge Roberto Toledo Alonso (University of Concepción); Francisco Javier Verdugo Avello (University of Concepción); Juan Pablo Acevedo Cox (University of Los Andes) Dr Matteo D'Este, ARI; Dr Jacek Wychowaniec, ARI

Grants details:

Grant: Competition to promote international links for regional research institutions. call 2021. Agency: National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) Title: Creation of an international consortium for the development of research in musculoskeletal biomanufacturing in the new UdeC Tissue Engineering Unit. Grant code: FOVI210016 J