You're welcome to join the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology on Friday, May 17, for a seminar by Dr. Catherine Le Visage, Co-Director of Regenerative Medicine and Skeleton Laboratory at the University of Nantes, France. She will speak about recent bioinspired regenerative approaches that aim to address intervertebral disc degeneration and discogenic low back pain.
RSVP required
Abstract
The
intervertebral
disc
(IVD)
is
a
fundamental
component
of
the
spine
and
has
a
vital
contribution
to
its
biomechanics.
It
plays
a
major
role
in
the
flexibility
of
the
spine
by
allowing
bending,
flexion
and
torsion
and
is
divided
in
two
macroscopically
different
tissues,
the
Nucleus
pulposus
(NP)
in
the
center
and
the
surrounding
Annulus
fibrosus
(AF).
IVD
degeneration
is
the
result
of
complex
pathological
processes
involving
alteration
of
extracellular
matrix
(ECM)
components,
the
production
of
pro-inflammatory
factors
and
a
dramatic
decrease
in
NP
cell
density.
On
the
other
hand,
extensive
AF
radial
tears
lead
to
herniation,
defined
as
the
protrusion
of
the
NP
outside
the
IVD,
causing
a
compression
of
the
nerve
root
in
the
spinal
canal
leading
to
radicular
pain.
This
talk
will
present
recent
bioinspired
regenerative
approaches
that
aim
to
address
IVD
degeneration
and
discogenic
low
back
pain.
Based
on
the
recent
description
of
a
reservoir
of
IVD
progenitor
cells,
endogenous
repair
strategies
that
aim
to
harness
the
progenitor
regenerative
capacity
will
be
discussed.
Dr. Le
Visage
will
present
an
intradiscal
polysaccharide
microbead-based
delivery
system
for
the
sequential
release
of
chemokines
and
growth
factors
that
could
contribute
to
the
recruitment
of
these
progenitors
followed
by
their
differentiation
into
NP
cells.
She
will
also
highlight
the
relevance
of
engineering
strategies
focused
on
AF
closure
and
repair.
She
will
share
her
team's
results
regarding
the
design
of
an
electrospun
implant
composed
of
polycaprolactone
that
mimics
the
oriented
and
multi-lamellar
fibrous
structure
of
the
native
AF
and
its
ability
to
properly
close
an
AF
defect
in
a
sheep
model.
RSVP required
Biographical
Sketch
Catherine
Le
Visage
is
a
Research
Director
and
the
Deputy
Director
of
the
Regenerative
Medicine
and
Skeleton
(RMeS)
laboratory
at
the
University
of
Nantes,
France.
She
was
trained
as
a
Pharmacist,
joined
the
team
of
Professor Patrick Couvreur,
at
the
Institut
Galien-Paris
Sud,
and
received
her
PhD
in
Pharmaceutical
Technologies
in
1999.
She
then
performed
a
post-doctoral
training
in
the
Biomedical
Engineering
Department of
the
Johns
Hopkins
School
of
Medicine
(Baltimore,
USA)
in
Professor Kam Leong’s
laboratory
with
a
focus
on
focus
on
thermo-sensitive
hydrogels
for
stem
cell
delivery.
In
2007,
she
joined
the
French
National
Institute
of
Health
and
Medical
Research
to
investigate
polysaccharide
hydrogels
as
a
platform
for
regenerative
medicine.
Her most recent works have focused on the development of porous and self-setting hydrogels as i) carriers of cells or bioactive molecules in the context of intervertebral disc disease and osteoarthritis and ii) tools for stem cell-based organogenesis. She has authored 64 publications in ISI-indexed journals (h-index 23) and 11 patents.