Non-destructive characterization of viscoelastic properties of hydrogels and polymers for biomedical applications

本™提案中要求的ElastosenseBio(Rhesion Inc.，蒙特利尔)是一种新技术，用于表征材料的粘弹性性质，特别是可注射聚合物和水凝胶，包括有或没有包裹的活细胞。由于它的非破坏性和使用样品夹(可以在每次分析之间移除并放置在孵化器中)，该设备允许在有封装细胞的情况下对材料特性进行长时间的非侵入性研究。因此，它在生物材料、组织工程、3D生物打印和一般聚合物领域开辟了非常有趣的研究机会。 该设备将用于ETS的各种计划和正在进行的研究项目，特别是索菲·勒鲁格的加拿大生物材料研究教席和Nicole Demarquette的基于热塑性塑料的ETS混合物和纳米复合材料研究教席。LEROUGE正在开发和测试新的可注射水凝胶作为药物或细胞输送支架，用于各种应用，包括癌症(T淋巴细胞输送支架)、组织再生或血管栓塞。Demarquette正在开发基于热敏聚合物的新混合物，用于药物输送和从聚合物凝胶中提取的用于生物医学应用的纳米泡沫。LEROUGE和Demarquette还开始与ETS和McGill的其他研究人员合作，研究用于3D打印的生物墨水，这要归功于2016年获得的FCI拨款。 该设备将用于跟踪胶囊化、聚合、生物降解或被包裹的细胞在短时间或长时间(几小时、几天甚至几周)内产生细胞外基质的过程中的机械性能和膨胀/收缩。与现有技术不同，ElastosenseBio能够在不接触(保持无菌)的情况下实现这一点，并且不会损坏样本，从而允许在整个研究过程中使用相同的样本。这一点很重要，因为这些样品可能非常昂贵。 该设备目前还没有在加拿大上市。获得这项技术是迫在眉睫的，因为勒鲁日资助的几个项目需要这项技术来实现他们的目标，以及2017年初收购3D生物打印系统。它也将是行业合作和HQP培训的关键。我们相信，在3年内，这些设备将有利于至少2名PDF、4名博士、5名MSC和8名实习生以及所有外部用户的工作。

The ElastosenseBio™ (Rheolution Inc., Montreal) requested in this RTI proposal is a new technology for the characterization of viscoelastic properties of materials, especially injectable polymers and hydrogels, with and without encapsulated live cells. Thanks to its non-destructive nature and the use of sample holders, which can be removed and placed in an incubator between each analysis, the equipment allows non-invasive study of material properties over long periods of time and in the presence of encapsulated cells. It therefore opens up very interesting research opportunities in the fields of biomaterials, tissue engineering, 3D bioprinting and polymers in general. The equipment will be used in various planned and ongoing research projects at ETS, especially at Sophie Lerouge’s Canada Research Chair in biomaterials and at Nicole Demarquette’s ETS Research Chair on Blends and Nanocomposites based on Thermoplastics. Lerouge is developing and testing new injectable hydrogels as drug or cell delivery scaffolds for various applications including cancer (scaffolds for T lymphocyte delivery), tissue regeneration or blood vessel embolization. Demarquette is developing new blends based on thermosensitive polymers for use in drug delivery and nano-foams for biomedical applications derived from polymeric gels. Lerouge and Demarquette are also beginning research on bioinks for 3D printing in collaboration with other researchers from ETS and McGill, thanks to a FCI grant obtained in 2016. The equipment will be used to track mechanical properties and swelling/contraction during gelation, polymerization, biodegradation or extracellular matrix production by encapsulated cells, over short or long periods of time (several hours, days or even weeks). In contrast to existing technologies, ElastosenseBio is able to achieve this without contact (maintaining sterility) and without damaging the sample, thus allowing use of the same samples throughout the study. This is important since these samples can be very expensive. The equipment is not yet available in Canada. Acquiring the technology is urgent due to several funded projects from Lerouge which need the technology to achieve their aims, as well as the acquisition of the 3D bioprinting system in early 2017. It will also be key for industrial collaborations and HQP training. Within 3 years, we believe that the equipment will be beneficial to the work of at least 2 PDF, 4 PhD, 5 MSC and 8 interns, plus all external users.