4th Annual ChEGSA Symposium
The Virginia Tech chapter of ChEGSA will be hosting it's 4th., annual research symposium on April 12th.,, 2012. The plenary speaker is Professor Scott Guelcher from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt.
Dr. Scott Guelcher
INVISTA Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering at Vanderbilt
BIOSKETCH: Professor Guelcher completed his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech and his Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to his appointment at Vanderbilt, he was a Senior Associate Scientist at Bayer Corporation and an NIH/NRSA Fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. The objectives of his research activity are to design and develop novel biomaterials and drug delivery systems for regeneration of bone and cutaneous tissue defects, as well as biomimetic 3D scaffolds for investigating the effects of matrix properties on cellular outcomes. Professor Guelcher is an author on 40 publications and an inventor on 30 patents and published applications.
TITLE: Injectable polymeric dual-purpose bone grafts for treatment of contaminated open fractures
ABSTRACT: The treatment of open fractures often requires grafting in order for union to occur. Despite meticulous surgical care and antibiotic administration, small amounts of bacteria often survive within a biofilm in the bone defect. When the fracture is grafted, the avascular bone graft provides the residual bacteria with an ideal environment to thrive, which increases the likelihood of infection. A dual-purpose bone graft that promotes healing while preventing infection is thus likely to improve clinical outcomes. An injectable lysine-derived polyurethane (PUR) composite that contains a growth factor and an anti-infection agent can overcome both the biological challenges for healing and the microbiological challenges associated with infection. The strategy is to release recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in a manner that takes advantage of its mechanisms of action. An initial burst recruits progenitor cells to the defect site, and a sustained release promotes healing of the defect. Release of an antibiotic or biofilm dispersal agent for an extended period of time protects the graft from bacterial colonization until vascularization occurs. Thus, injectable, settable dual-purpose bone grafts have the potential to promote bone healing in contaminated open fractures and also reduce infection rates in clinical settings.