ASM International San Fernando Valley Chapter Presents

October 2005 Meeting

Structure / Function Relationships in Fibrin/Collagen Biomaterial Scaffolds for Wound Healing Applications Presented by California Lutheran University, Dr. Michael Shaw   Skin is the largest organ in the body forming a critical protective barrier to the external environment. During normal wound healing, a fibrin clot is formed within the first few minutes and is replaced, over several days, by collagen and other extracellular matrix components which are populated with fibroblasts and other cells. This process leads to the rebuilding of dermal tissue on which the epidermal tissue is slowly rebuilt. In severe acute and chronic wounds dermal replacement materials are needed that mimic these processes. Current trends are to use scaffolds as structural substitutes as well as carriers for growth factors and cells for wound treatment. Fibrin-based sealants have been used over the last 30 years in hemostasis and tissue sealing applications and in the last 5 years as a scaffold, and consist of two primary components, fibrinogen and thrombin which form a fibrin clot when mixed. However, a basic understanding of the microstructure/property relationships of fibrin/collagen constructs is not yet fully established. A recently established compressive indentation protocol coupled with confocal microscopy experiments were used to explore underlying structure-function relationships in fibrin biomaterial scaffolds of varying biochemical composition. The results are analyzed and correlated within the context of a new analytical model for the relationships between the underlying structure of the fibrin material and its mechanical stiffness.

		Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne

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