Forschung
Research
Multimodal cancer diagnosis via living thrombocyte-nanodiamond hybrids – CANDY (DFG, PI: Sascha Balakin)
The project CANDY aims to develop living hybrid materials using carbon-based contrast agents with stable photoluminescence, activity in magnetic resonance imaging, cancer targeting, and immune evasion properties due to the living component. Therefore, fluorescent nanodiamonds (NDs) will be loaded into thrombocytes to shield the synthetic materials from immunosurveillance. Loaded thrombocytes will release the NDs upon their activation, where tumor cells mediate direct activation and adhesion of thrombocytes.
Duration: 2023-2024
Nanodiamond functionalized implant surfaces for vital soft tissue sealing – NanoDIM (DFG, PI: Jörg Opitz, Associates: Sascha Balakin, Aidee Itandehui Garcia-Zintzun)
The aim of the project NanoDIM is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the mutual influences of texturing, surface energy and surface chemistry aiming for superior properties of titanium surfaces with respect to biofilm formation as well as soft tissue sealing. For this purpose, specifically functionalized nanodiamonds, which are modified both in terms of their size and their surface chemistry, are partially integrated into titanium surfaces by anodic thickening of the oxide layers.
Duration: 2021-2024
Modification of titanium implants via functional nanodiamonds for enhanced antimicrobial properties (TU Dresden internal fund, PI: Sascha Balakin, Associates: Emilia Krok)
One of the major challenges arising from arthroplasty (joint replacement) is the possibility of microbial infection, which leads to an inflammatory response and complex patient restrictions. The main objectives of this work were the conjugation of ND with antibiotics such as Amoxicillin and Ampicillin via electrostatic interactions and their immobilization on commercial titanium implant materials. Anodic oxidation, in combination with the functional NDs, led to a novel and highly potent antimicrobial surface.
Duration: 2019-2020
Engineering of surfaces by the use of detonation nanodiamonds: towards drug-eluting coatings of biomaterials (TU Dresden's Institutional Strategy was funded by the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments, Associate: Sascha Balakin)
The main objective of this work was to manufacture and characterize ND-enhanced coatings with high biocompatibility and high drug-loading capability. Functional NDs were integrated into the coatings using polyelectrolyte multilayers. The examination of cell proliferation and cell differentiation of human fetal osteoblasts seeded onto the coatings supported the biological assessment. Prior to the coating process, the ND surface was modified with an osteogenic peptide.
Duration: 2016-2019