Prof. Levinus Hendrik Koole
Department of Chemical Engineering
School of Engineering
Nazarbayev University
Astana, Kazakhstan
Newly engineered synthetic biomaterials and their clinical
applications: Transarterial embolization as an example
Abstract
When a synthetic biomaterial is placed inside the body, this will trigger a sequence of so-called
foreign-body responses of the surrounding tissues. In cases where the responses are mild, or
virtually absent, the biomaterial is considered to be "biocompatible". Our understanding of the
mechanisms underlying "biocompatibility" has expanded considerably during the last decades,
and this has led to the development of new biocompatible implant materials and devices. The
lecture will focus on new synthetic polymer microspheres, which combine a high level of
biocompatibility with another feature: radiopacity, which means that the particles are visible
on X-ray images. The microspheres are suitable for use in a minimally invasive treatment
technique called transarterial embolization. An overview of experimental data from research
in vitro, and in vivo (animal experiments, and first clinical tests) will be presented.