Chemistry Seminar Series: Whey protein isolate hydrogels for bone and vascular tissue engineering

Biographical Information

Prof. Timothy Douglas is an associate professor at the School of Engineering at Lancaster University, United Kingdom. He works on the development of biomaterials to support tissue regeneration, in particular hard tissue regeneration (bone). Such biomaterials are implanted into tissue defects, which can occur because of injury or tumour resection. In particular, he focuses on composite biomaterials, namely mineralized hydrogels, in order to combine the positive characteristics of the mineral phase (mechanical strength, ability to support bone regeneration) with the positive characteristics of the hydrogel phase (ease of incorporation of biologically active substances, such as enzymes and antibacterial agents). He is interested in endowing biomaterials with antibacterial activity to prevent infection during implantation, which is becoming increasingly important given the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He is also interested in biomaterial coatings and the use of substances from the food industry in biomaterial development. He has published 100 publications relating to biomaterials for bone contact with an extensive network of international collaborators, including many in Germany, Belgium, Russia, and Poland in particular. He regularly hosts visiting researchers from these countries and others. He is a firm believer in the benefits of language learning and is a member of the International Association of Hyperpolyglots (HYPIA). He is very keen to promote multilingualism and language learning in science. International collaboration and mobility are encouraged.

Abstract

Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) is an inexpensive by-product of the dairy industry, available in large quantities and used as a dietary supplement. WPI hydrogels can used as scaffolds for bone-forming cells and carriers of hydrophobic substances. Inorganic particles, like bioactive glasses, alpha-tricalcium phosphate, aragonite and hydroxyapatite (HA) can easily be added during hydrogel formation. Hydrophobic molecules such as phloroglucinol (PG), the fundamental subunit of marine polyphenols, and poly-gamma-glutamic acid (PGGA), can be incorporated during hydrogel formation. WPI hydrogels support the adhesion and growth of a range of bone-forming cells, as well as human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC). Incorporation of PG endowed antimicrobial activity towards a wide range of microbes including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis while maintaining cytocompatibility. In conclusion, WPI hydrogels are both promising scaffolds for bone cells and hydrophobic drug carriers.

Figure 1. Production of WPI discs and tubes for vascular tissue engineering (From Genç et al, Molecules 2023, 28(20), 7052).