Team headed by Professor Michael D. Buschmann of École Polytechnique develops solution to knee-joint problems by leading research into novel biomaterials

Professor Buschmann is Director of École Polytechnique's Groupe de recherche en science et technologies biomédicales (Biomedical Science and Technologies Research Group -- GRSTB) and holder of the new NSERC/BioSyntech Industrial Research Chair in Hybrid Biomaterials for Innovative Regenerative Technologies. Inaugurated today at École Polytechnique, the Chair is working to develop a family of biomaterials with the ability to stimulate growth and regeneration of joint tissue.
Chair to develop "living" materials
A hybrid biomaterial is one composed of a polymer and a bioactive
substance that together possess properties not present in their component parts. The Chair research team uses bioactive
substances either taken from patients' bodies (e.g., blood or cells) or created from proteins, polynucleotides or other
substances. This attenuates the risk of rejection. For example, CarGelTM - which is produced by the Chair's industrial partner,
BioSyntech Inc. - links chitosan (derived from the shells of crustaceans) with the patient's blood. When injected into joint
tissue, the gel forms an adhesive structure within damaged cartilage that acts as a "scaffold" from which the body's cells can
generate new cartilage.
The NSERC/BioSyntech Industrial Research Chair in Hybrid Biomaterials for Innovative Regenerative Technologies, with a budget of $400,000 annually over five years, will enable Professor Buschmann's team to develop an entire series of hybrid biomaterials with ultra-high-performance properties, along with optical and electron microscopy techniques for structural analysis purposes.
"We are seeking to deepen our understanding of the composition and structure of biomaterials, as well as their biomechanical and biological properties - with the ultimate goal of perfecting applications for hybrid biomaterials that will include regeneration of tissues and organs damaged by disease," Professor Buschmann announced.
Remarkable breakthrough in the field of joint surgery
Diseases that result in irremediable tissue lesions in joints - e.g., arthritis and arthrosis - currently account for some 15%
of hospitalizations in developed countries; one Canadian in five will be affected by arthritis over the next 20 years. Because
of the aging of the population, that percentage will increase sharply, in turn causing a severe public health problem in years
to come. In the presence of tissue lesions, the potential for natural repair or regeneration of damaged cartilage is very
limited. Currently, advancement of disease often necessitates complete joint replacement using a prosthesis - an invasive
procedure that is painful for patients, and which sometimes offers only a temporary solution: many prostheses require
replacement after 10 years or so. According to the Medical Post, the number of full knee and hip arthroplasties in Canada has
increased nearly 40% in seven years, and physicians conduct more than 45,000 such surgeries each year. The products that will
result from research conducted by the Chair team therefore represent a highly promising solution that should eventually reduce
dependence on joint replacement surgeries.
Dr. Nicolas Duval, the surgeon who performed the operation on Mr. Savard using CarGelTM, said enthusiastically: "The work led by Professor Buschmann introduces the concept of regeneration using our bodies' own tissue. It means surgeons will be able to regenerate cartilage before irreversible damage is done. And it means, potentially, greater patient mobility, lower morbidity rates due to major surgeries, and lower costs to the health system and to society in general."
A model partnership
The Chair in Hybrid Biomaterials came into being thanks to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
(NSERC) and BioSyntech, which each provided half of the operating budget.
The links between Polytechnique and BioSyntech Inc. are particularly close and fruitful. The Laval firm, founded by a former Polytechnique professor, Amine Selmani, specializes in injectable biomaterials for tissue repair and therapeutic delivery. Under a technology transfer agreement, BioSyntech benefits from the discoveries and patents of Professor Buschmann's team, with a view to commercialization. The firm will participate actively in scientific collaborations with the Chair, supply the basic polymers and steer research work toward the most useful areas of research and exploitation.
"Our technology breakthroughs will be strengthened with the creation of the Chair," said Claude LeDuc, President and Chief Executive Officer of BioSyntech, adding: "We are also proud to be helping create a critical mass of researchers and highly qualified personnel, who are needed by firms such as ours."
An innovative training environment
At the crossroads of biology, chemistry, physics, surgery and engineering, the Industrial Research Chair in Hybrid Biomaterials
for Innovative Regenerative Technologies provides a multidisciplinary research environment and allows researchers access to the
state-of-the-art equipment of the GRSTB.
"In five years, we expect to train some 15 graduate students and about as many undergraduates, in areas of research as diversified as chemistry, polymer physics and tissue microscopy, as well as biomechanics of hybrid biomaterials and in vivo study of their biological functions," concluded Professor Buschmann. "Our Chair will contribute to advancements in the fields of biomedical engineering research and nano-biotechnologies at École Polytechnique. On the strength of its expertise in these fields, in fall 2008 Polytechnique will inaugurate Québec's first and only bachelor's program in biomedical engineering.
About École Polytechnique
Founded in 1873, École Polytechnique de Montréal is one of Canada's leading engineering institutions in terms of both teaching
and research. It is the largest engineering school in Québec as far as its student population and the scope of its research
activities are concerned. École Polytechnique provides instruction in 11 engineering specialties and is responsible for more
than one-quarter of university research in engineering in Québec. The school has 230 professors and nearly 6,000 students. Its
operating budget is $85 million, in addition to a $68 million research and infrastructure fund, which includes grants and
contracts worth $38 million. Polytechnique is affiliated with Université de Montréal.
About BioSyntech
BioSyntech is a biotechnology firm specializing in the discovery, development and manufacturing of innovative, cost-effective
and physician-friendly biotherapeutic thermogels for regenerative medicine and therapeutic delivery. BioSyntech's Quality
Management System is registered to the ISO 9001:2000 standards. For additional information, visit www.biosyntech.com.
About NSERC
NSERC is a federal agency whose role is to make investments in people, discovery and innovation for the benefit of all
Canadians. The agency invests in people by supporting some 23,000 university students and postdoctoral fellows in their
advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 11,000 university professors every year and helps make
innovation happen by encouraging about 1,300 Canadian companies to invest in university research and training. Over the past 10
years, NSERC has invested $6 billion in basic research, university-industry projects, and the training of Canada's next
generation of scientists and engineers. Website: www.crsng.gc.ca.
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Source:
Chantal Cantin
Communications and Recruitment Office
École Polytechnique de Montréal
Tel.: (514) 340-4711, ext. 4970
Cell: (514) 916-2399
chantal.cantin@polymtl.ca
Photos of Chair members and their work available via the following site: http://www.polymtl.ca/tissue/