Description du sujet de thèse

Wharton's jelly derivatives and glycosaminoglycanes : biological and mechanical caracterizations

Contexte de travail

The doctoral project aims to develop versatile and multifunctional hydrogels for regenerative medicine and cell culture. The originality of our approach lies in the use of decellularized perinatal tissues. Indeed, recent work by the team has demonstrated that these decellularized tissues possess intrinsic pro-regenerative and antibacterial properties. Thanks to their composition, which is rich in collagen and hyaluronic acid, these tissues offer a strong foundation for developing multifunctional hydrogels. The biomechanical properties of hydrogels play a critical role in modulating cellular behavior both in vitro and in vivo post-implantation. Mechanical characterization is typically performed in vitro at either the local or macroscopic scale. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) opens new perspectives for time-resolved and mechanically loaded evaluations of hydrogels by tracking changes in their microstructure. Such tests can be conducted at various loading speeds, particularly under dynamic conditions, through elastography. This non-invasive tool allows for real-time assessment of the mechanical properties of hydrogels, both in vitro and in vivo after implantation. In this context, a collaboration with the iCube laboratory (a member of the ANR HyCareMat consortium) will enable the implementation of multimodal biomechanical characterization of the developed hydrogels.

Contraintes et risques

The project will require mobility in between Reims, Metz and Strasbourg.