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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S21755/01
Title: The use of tissue transglutaminase as a novel biocatalyst in the modification of collagen for development of new biomaterials to support bone repair
Principal Investigator: Griffin, Professor M
Other Investigators:
Verderio-Edwards, Dr EAM
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
BLC Leather Technology Centre Ltd
Department: Life Sciences
Organisation: Nottingham Trent University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 August 2003 Ends: 31 August 2004 Value (£): 156,695
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Biomaterials Medical science & disease
Tissue Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Healthcare
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
A major advance in the development of biomaterials for use in modern orthopaedic surgery would be osteo-inductive materials with improved bioreactivity, leading to materials surfaces that are completely fused with the bone tissue and lacking a fibrous interface. This project intends to use the protein crosslinking enzyme tissue transglutaminase (tTgase) as a novel biocatalyst in the non toxic modification of the natural abundant biopolymer collagen, such that the modified collagen, either by itself or as a part of a biocomposite with synthetic polymers, can be used in bone repair. tTgase will be used to both stabilise collagen by crosslinking and also to modify the collagen by the incorporation of bioactive synthetic peptides, which have been designed to facilitate both tTgase mediated incorporation and the colonisation of the implanted polymer by surrounding tissue. tTgase will also be used in order to modify collagen for its application as a novel delivery agent for bone growth factors. Two strategies have been planned which will allow either entrapment of recombinant growth factor into enzymatically crosslinked collagen or the tTgase mediated incorporation of engineered growth factor fusion proteins into the modified collagen. In each case the strategy allows for controlled release of the growth factors by endogenous proteases, thus facilitating osteoblast colonisation and tissue regeneration.
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.ntu.ac.uk