Please join the Department of Chemical Engineering on Friday, October 4, for a seminar by Dr. Patricia Comeau, a biomaterials engineer with particular interest and expertise in designing materials for bone and controlled release applications, on her research developing calcium-phosphate systems for targeted therapy.
Abstract
Bone is a robust tissue consisting of a dense collagen matrix and carbonated apatite mineral. As a natural composite, these phases act to make bone a hard, stiff, strong and tough material that is highly resistant to infection when healthy. Unfortunately, trauma, the presence of foreign bodies and diseases (e.g. cancer, diabetes) can necessitate therapeutic intervention.
With more than two million bone grafting procedures performed globally each year and an ever-growing concern over autograft and allograft limitations, there remains a significant need to develop suitable synthetic materials with the requisite properties.
Calcium phosphate materials are one class of materials that – owing in part to their similarity to the mineral phase of bone – has attracted significant attention in bone tissue engineering strategies. In this seminar, two specific bone targets that require targeted therapy – specifically, osteomyelitis and critically-sized segmental bone defects - will be discussed.
Local delivery systems are of great clinical interest for osteomyelitis (i.e. bone infection) therapy owing to their ability to overcome many disadvantages of systemic delivery. More appealing still is a delivery device capable of eradicating infection and promoting bone regeneration. The overall aim of Dr. Patricia Comeau’s early research was to develop a clinically relevant, calcium polyphosphate (CPP) glass-based local delivery system for treatment of osteomyelitis and restoration of bone lost to the disease. In this seminar, she will discuss the approaches utilized to tune the delivery system towards such goals.
The reconstruction of critically-sized segmental bone defects (CSBDs) resulting from bone tumour resection and trauma is another significant challenge. Current clinical procedures for CSBD reconstruction have unacceptably high failure rates due to infections, resorption and non-union, as well as mechanical issues, including fracture or loosening. Unfortunately, many tissue engineering and synthetic biomaterials approaches are themselves mechanically deficient for such reconstruction.
The primary objective of Dr. Comeau’s latest research is to develop a bone-inspired nanocomposite system that, once 3D printed, closely approaches the mechanical and osteoconductive properties of healthy bone. To this end, she has been working on the development of 3D-printable and UV-curable inks consisting of methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and rod-like hydroxyapatite nano-particles (nHA). She will discuss approaches pursued to chemically modify these two phases separately and together in order to optimize the properties of this nanocomposite system towards 3D printing.
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Patricia Comeau received her BSc (Co-op) from the University of Alberta, her MASc from the University of British Columbia and her PhD from Dalhousie University. Her PhD thesis investigated the development of a calcium polyphosphate-based local delivery system towards controlled release of an antibiotic and treatment of osteomyelitis.
In 2015, Dr. Comeau began her postdoctoral fellowship in Professor Willett’s new lab in the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. As a biomaterials engineer with particular interest and expertise in designing materials for bone and controlled release applications, Dr. Comeau has most recently contributed to the development of nanocomposite inks for direct write assembly (i.e. 3D printing) of bone-inspired constructs. In late 2018, Dr. Comeau was promoted to Research Associate and lab manager for Professor Willett’s lab.
Dr. Comeau has received NSERC awards to support each of her MASc, PhD and post-doctoral fellowship programs, and been a recipient of various institutional and conference-level awards. She was also very active in many student and national societies during her undergraduate and graduate studies. In her current position, she continues to be involved in the local and global research communities.