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UniversityofBath OP t1_jckf4y5 wrote

Reply to comment by CuriousRedPandaBear in Hello Reddit, I’m Nazia Mehrban, a Lecturer in Biotechnology at University of Bath. I design and build materials that are implanted into patients to repair or replace damaged tissues. by UniversityofBath

Hello! My materials are not currently being used in patients. It takes years to develop and refine the designs so they are suitable for implantation. This is then followed by strict regulatory tests and approvals before we go anywhere near a patient. All new healthcare technologies and drugs that are developed have to go through this process. My designs are still 'early stage' though I have been doing significant tests on them.

Regarding the second part of your question: cells decide how they will respond to materials by detecting physical and chemical changes around them. I study what would normally be present in healthy tissue and try to replicate these in my materials.

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CuriousRedPandaBear t1_jckifo5 wrote

Thank you! Where did you interest in this start?

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UniversityofBath OP t1_jckiwx4 wrote

It was an accidental journey. I did my first degree in forensic science and came across a project that was trying to recreate the fingerprint ridges. I thought that was interesting and as I started to explore I realised you could create more than fingerprints. I started using materials that are readily available and then eventually landed on making my own.

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FlattopMaker t1_jcoq1kv wrote

has your team come across instances where the organism is learning from or adapting to the engineered/implanted materials to create a novel healing mechanism or an improved healing rate due to artificial intervention?

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UniversityofBath OP t1_jd3nt6v wrote

Yes! We give the tissues the initial fabric of instruction but once the right cells are attracted to the space they take over and start growing in a space that they didn't occupy previously.

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