PhD defence
PhD defence by Julio Alvin Vacacela Cordova
On Wednesday, 28 August 2024, Julio Alvin Vacacela Cordova will defend his PhD thesis "Adaptable hydrogels for cardiac tissue engineering".
Time: 13:00
Place: Building 421, auditorium 73 & zoom: https://dtudk.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5UkdOyrqTwiE909hTbfQIhSj4WRv8IcyQoZ
Please be aware that the PhD defense may be recorded - This will also be informed at the beginning of the PhD defense.
Supervisor: Associate Professor Alireza Dolatshahi-Pirouz
Co-supervisor: Principal Investigator Manuel Maria Mazo Vega, CIMA-University of Navarra
Assistant Professor Miguel Dias Castilho, Technical University of Eindhoven
Professor Sander Leeuwenburgh, Radboud University Medical Center
Assessment committee:
Associate Professor Fatemeh Ajalloueian, DTU Health Tech
Professor Bojan Petrović, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Dentistry
Assistant Professor Gaëtan Lutzweiler, University of Rouen Normandy, Laboratory of Polymers, Biopolymers and Surfaces (PBS)
Chairperson:
Associate Professor Yi Sun, DTU Health Tech
Abstract:
In a significant stride toward combating heart disease, a new biomaterial has been developed that promises to improve treatments for myocardial infarction—the leading cause of death worldwide. This biomaterial, which innovatively combines functionalized versions of pectin and gelatin, has shown exceptional results in mimicking and supporting the natural function and structure of heart tissue. Enhanced with a 3D-printed mesh made of PCL, a biocompatible polymer, the scaffold provides a robust yet flexible framework that surgeons can suture directly onto the heart muscle. This ensures that the patch remains in place and performs under the dynamic conditions of the human body.
Preliminary results are promising: beyond its superior mechanical properties, the enhanced hydrogel scaffold has proven compatible with the seeding and differentiation of cardiomyocytes. These cells are capable of exerting a paracrine effect once attached to the myocardium, promising regeneration and restoration of function. These results lay a solid foundation for the next steps in therapeutic development, bringing us closer to a time when full recovery from a heart attack could become a reality.