Day 2 :
Keynote Forum
Nadia Benkirane
INSERM, France
Keynote: Smart and Living Implant Equipped with Active therapeutics and Stem cells for Regenerative Nanomedicine
Time : 09:30-10:10
Biography:
Nadia Benkirane is Research director and head of the “Osteoarticular and Dental regenerative Nanomedicine” laboratory, at INSERM (French National Institute for Health and Medical Research), France. She was leader of “Active Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering” team INSERM 977. She received her Ph.D. from University Louis Pasteur, ULP, France for the work on Development of pseudo peptides as synthetic vaccines. Jessel possesses expertise in diverse fields of molecular and cellular biology, immunochemistry, tissue engineering and biomedical engineering. Benkirane-Jessel have 138 publications (h index: 36) with peer-reviewed publications in high impact factor journals, 5 chapters reviews and 5 international patents, she is a regular referee for a number of scientific journals (Nature nanotechnology, Nature Materials, ACS nano, Biomaterials, Nano letters).
Abstract:
Recently, we have reported an active nanostructured collagen implant reinforced with human stem cells for bone regeneration. In our group, we have reported a "Smart Hybrid Materials Equipped with Nanoreservoirs of Therapeutics and stem cells". This unique nanotechnology strategy is used to entrap, protect, and stabilize therapeutic agents into polymer coatings acting as nanoreservoirs enrobing nanofibers of implantable membranes. Upon contact with cells, therapeutic agents become available through enzymatic degradation of the nanoreservoirs. As cells grow, divide, and infiltrate deeper into the porous membrane, they trigger slow and progressive release of therapeutic agents that, in turn, stimulate further cell proliferation. This constitutes the first instance of a smart living nanostructured hybrid membrane for regenerative medicine. The cell contact-dependent bioerodible nanoreservoirs described here will permit sustained release of drugs, genes, growth factors, etc., opening a general route to the design of sophisticated cell-therapy implants capable of robust and durable regeneration of a broad variety of tissues.
Keynote Forum
Magdalena Plebanski
Monash University, Australia
Keynote: Designing nanoparticle based immunodulators and vaccines: the intriguing link between inflammation and immune-suppression
Biography:
Magdalena Plebanski leads the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Unit at the Department of Immunology, Monash University, Australia. She is a NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and the inaugural co-Head of the Immunotherapeutics Division at the newly established Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME). Her qualifications include: BScHon (UNAM, Mexico); MBA (Deakin University, Australia); PhD (Bristol University, UK). She published >125 peer-reviewed papers (plus numerous conference abstracts), with >5000 citations, including high-profile: Lancet, Nature Biotechnology, Science, Nature, Immunity, Nature Medicine, Plos Pathogens, Nature Communications, Clin Cancer Res. Her 5 families of PCT patents have progressed to commercialisation nationally and internationally. Her research interests include vaccines, adjuvants, cancer, malaria, asthma, regulatory T cells (Treg), inflammation, lung and antigen presenting cells (APC).\r\n\r\n
Abstract:
The immune system is continuously challenged by micro and nanoparticles in environmental pollutants and microroganisms. Our studies over the last decade have identified some of the basic physicochemical principles by which diverse key antigen presenting cells (APC) of the immune system, dendritic cells (DC), macrophages and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), recognize differentially a range of particles, and subsequently promote different types of immune responses. This understanding has led to the development of new types of nanovaccines, capable of inducing high levels of CD8 T cells and antibodies, with protection shown against cancers, as well as viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases; as well as alternate nanovaccine types, that preferentially induce high levels of CD4 T cells or antibodies, but not CD8 T cells. The long lasting nature of the immune responses induced by such vaccines was recently found to be due to their ‘inert/stealth’ nature, which by avoiding the induction of conventional inflammatory responses, also fail to induce the suppressive immune controls which normally would limit a beneficial immunity. Specific types of nanoparticles (as defined by size, material, shape and surface charge) were also found to offer a novel imprint on lung immune cells, rendering lungs resistant to viral challenge, whilst also being substantially less prone to damaging immune reactions, such as those elicted by allergens. Nanoparticles promoting such healthy ‘homeostatic’ lungs further offer a new concept to fight the increased prevalence of asthma and COPD in urbanized regions of the world.