NEW BIOMATERIAL FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING

Hard tissue injuries, especially bone, are very difficult to treat due to their special biological and functional characteristics, and most of the biomaterials currently available for the treatment of bone injuries have very little biocompatibility and functionality in vivo. To date, the treatments and materials used in severe human bone injuries involve very slow biointegration into the bone and low success rates. Therefore, the search for new highly biocompatible materials for use in the repair of bone defects is a priority in the field of traumatology. In this context, researchers have developed a process for obtaining and using a new biomaterial using, for the first time, dermal ossicles from the holothurian echinoderm. These calcified microstructures are synthesized by one or several cells of the animal, which adhere intimately to the surface of the ossicle. For this reason, the surface of the ossicles is potentially highly biocompatible, which supports its clinical use as an agent for inducing bone regeneration. The results obtained from the ex vivo and in vivo biocompatibility and efficacy studies confirm the adequate process of biointegration of the biomaterial, with no signs of necrosis, tumor, infection, hemorrhage or rejection. In addition, greater bone repair and regeneration is demonstrated in bone defects treated with holothurian ossicles Advantages and benefits 1. Highly biocompatible material. Cell adhesion to the ossicle surface in holothuria supports its biocompatibility and its use as an inducing agent of bone regeneration without causing inflammation or detectable adverse effects. 2. Potentially useful for in vivo regeneration . Hard tissues, especially bone, are very difficult to treat and most biomaterials currently have poor functionality in vivo. 3. Better bone regeneration results than other currently available materials. 4. Optimal porosity and roughness conditions to be used in regenerative medicine. 5. Abundant material in nature . As fishery by-products, holothuria dermal ossicles used as raw material are versatile elements, easy to handle and with a reduced cost. 6. Empowerment of fishing communities.