Aud. EBI

In the scope of the research seminars organized by CBQF/LAE, the researcher Ana Oliveira (ESB-CBQF) will present her work on “The Use of Silk in Wound Healing and Regeneration: where are we heading?”.

Abstract:

Amongst the several strategies that have been proposed to prepare polymeric matrices for tissue wound healing and regeneration, the use of silk has been gaining momentum. In fact, long standing FDA regulatory approval of silk as a suture, its abundance as raw fiber material and controlled in vitro and in vivo proteolytic degradability has established the ground for a series of applications involving drug delivery, tissue engineering, or implantable devices. In all of these approaches, the use of silk is associated with targeted functional microenvironments supporting tissue morphogenesis.

This talk will address the potential of silk as a matrix in different wound dressing strategies. Several examples will presented of the use of silk, either in the form of membranes functionalized with phytoconstituents which are able to elicit a wide range of therapeutic activities, as in situ forming hydrogels or as non-invasive platforms for sensing the wound environment, each targeting different stages of the wound healing.