INEB RECENT PUBLICATIONS: Modulation of the inflammatory response to chitosan through M2 macrophage polarization using pro-resolution mediators

INEB researchers recently published an article in the scientific journal Biomaterials, available on January 2015. The article is entitled "Modulation of the inflammatory response to chitosan through M2 macrophage polarization using pro-resolution mediators" and is authored by Daniela P. Vasconcelos, Madalena Costa, Isabel F. Amaral, Mário A. Barbosa,Artur P. Águas and Judite N. Barbosa.

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have created a demand for biomaterials with specific functions such as the ability to modify the host immune response. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two different pro-resolution lipid mediators, lipoxin A4 (LxA4) and resolvin D1 (RvD1), in the modulation of the inflammatory response to biomaterials through M2 macrophage polarization. Our results demonstrated that both LxA4 and RvD1 are able to shift the macrophage response to implanted Ch scaffolds to an M2 reparative response.

To the best of our knowledge this is the first in vivo study that uses these pro-resolution agents to modulate the inflammatory response to an implanted biomaterial in an attempt to create a strategy to develop biomaterials with immunomodulating properties, because modulating the inflammatory response has the potential to enhance regenerative therapies.

Figure: Histological images of the chitosan scaffolds and surrounding tissues 2 weeks after implantation. (a–d) Sirius red stained sections images showing the complete scaffold and the surround tissues acquired using MosaiX software. (a) Ch 15%; (b) Ch 15% + LxA4; (c) Ch 15% + RvD1; (d) Ch 15% + vehicle. Scale bar = 100 μm. (e–h) Masson trichrome stained sections showing details of the fibrous capsule formed around the implanted scaffolds. (e) Ch 15%; (f) Ch 15% + LxA4; (g) Ch 15% + RvD1; (h) Ch 15% + vehicle. Scale bar = 100 μm.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961214010825