A window into host response, infection and biomaterial interplay
A window into host response, infection and biomaterial interplay
Medical implants can restore bodily functions but can also cause complications. The body may recognize an implant as foreign and form scar tissue, or bacteria may attach to the material surface and cause a persistent infection. Although new materials are being developed to prevent these issues, it remains difficult to predict how they will behave inside the body, and only few reach clinical application. The main reason is that the complex interactions between cells, bacteria, and biomaterials are difficult to be replicated in the laboratory.
Therefore, in this thesis of Elles Boonstra, a new imaging model was developed that allows these reactions to be followed live and over extended periods in mice. Using an abdominal window and advanced microscopy, immune cells, collagen formation, and bacterial infections could be observed in real time. This revealed not only how many cells were present, but also how their spatial distribution changed over time and how infection influenced this dynamic.
With this model, Boonstra also investigated how implant surface properties, such as hydrophobicity and stiffness, affect the immune response and infection. Although some responses changed, these properties did not have a clear effect on scar formation or infection susceptibility. In addition, laboratory results did not always match what was observed in mice, partly due to differences between mouse and human cells and the three-dimensional organization of tissue in the body.
This research provides new insights into the complex interplay between implants, cells, and bacteria, and contributes to the development of safer medical implants.