Materials Innovations for Infection Prevention London, UK

Organization Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

Preventing the spread of infection through the innovative use of materials and design. The spread of swine flu, MRSA, C. difficile and other infections in the healthcare environment is something that must be tackled on all fronts if we wish to contain the threat to patients, staff and employees working with infected people. In addition to the antiviral treatments available, the innovative use of materials and related technologies has an extremely important secondary role to play within hospitals, health centres, nursing homes, and even the home and office environments. This one day conference will explain the threat, and look at a number of ways of reducing the spread of infection including: the use of innovative design solutions to minimise the spread of infection and prevent the build up of bacteria on furnishings as well as medical equipment, and the use of patient isolation the use and application of functional materials for applications such as hard surfaces, textiles (bedding, clothing and soft furnishings), paints and medical devices the future alternatives to today's solutions and the use of nanotechnology detection systems to sense and monitor superbugs smart solutions and new equipment to kill harmful bacteria and deep clean infected areas. The conference will outline the work being done by the NHS, through the National Innovation Centre and the NHS Healthcare Acquired Infection (HCAI) Technology Innovation Programme, and it will identify the methods of getting new products and solutions into the NHS through the Design Bugs Out project and the Smart Solutions programme. Chair: Sue Dunkerton , HealthTech and Medicines Knowledge Transfer Network · Keynote 1: The Threat Explained, Professor Clive Beggs, Professor of Medical Technology at the University of Bradford · Keynote 2: The Healthcare Acquired Infection (HCAI) Technology Programme. Paul Cryer, Programme Manager, Department of Health, HCAI Technology Innovation Programme · Infection Prevention: the Journey to Market. Chris Dyke, Medilink West Midlands · Biofilm Models for the Testing of Antimicrobial-Releasing Materials . Dr Jonathan Pratten, UCL Eastman Dental Institute · Recent Developments in Copper Protection. Mark Tur, Copper Development Agency · Antimicrobial Fabrics – An Overview. Brian McCarthy, Technical Textiles, Materials KTN · Application and Evaluation of Durable, High Activity, Antimicrobial Coatings Based on Nano Ag by Chemical Vapour Deposition. Howard Foster, Parasitology and Disease Research Centre, School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford · Inorganic Nanomaterials for Antimicrobial Protection. Selvaraj Subbiah, Intrinsiq Materials · Ultra Thin, Prophylactic Liquid Glass (SiO2) Coatings for Use in Healthcare and Associated Environments. Neil McClelland, Project Manager, Nanopool GmbH · Lenticular Posters as a Visual Stimulus for Infection Control. Robbie Rohan, P4YT · Nanosensors for Superbugs and Superdrugs, Dr Rachel McKendry, London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London · Open Air Factor- A Cascade Reaction of Hydroxyl Radicals , Alan Mole, Tri-Air Developments Ltd. · The Use of UV Light in Infection Control. John Burrows, Pathogen Solutions Ltd · NHS Smart Ideas: Temporary Isolation Unit, Mike Phillips, Renfrew Group · Design Bugs Out Part 1: Hospital Equipment. Grace Davey, Helen Hamlyn Centre, RCA · Design Bugs Out Part 2: Design Principles of Hospital Furniture. Geoff Hollington, Design Consultant Who Should Attend The conference will appeal to researchers, producers, specifiers and manufacturers of healthcare related products and devices, and those responsible for infection control in the broadest sense, both within healthcare, but also within the home and office environments. Cost: £260+VAT . Concessions available for event partner and IOM3 members, students and unemployed. Event Partners: HealthTech and Medicines KTN , the Infection Prevention Society , the S ociety for Applied Microbiology , the Engineering in Medicine and Health Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers , Medilink West Midlands , the IET and biomat.net . Further information from www.iom3.org/events/infection or contact dawn.bonfield@iom3.org .

2nd Chinese-European Symposium on Biomaterials in Regenerative Medicine

2nd Chinese-European Symposium on Biomaterials in Regenerative Medicine

16-20 November 2009

Barcelona, Spain

Organization The European Society for Biomaterials (ESB), Chinese Committee for Biomaterials (CCBM) and the Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya

Presentation The European Society for Biomaterials (ESB) and the Chinese Committee for Biomaterials (CCBM) are pleased to announce the 2nd joint symposium on Biomaterials in Regenerative Medicine, which will be held in Barcelona from 17 to 20th November 2009. After the successful first joint symposium held in Suzhou (China) on April 2006, this 2nd meeting will be the perfect opportunity for Chinese and European researchers to gather together again. Last highlights and achievements in biomaterials and tissue engineering will be presented and future trends and challenges will be discussed. The meeting will offer the most suitable platform for networking and partnering and will for sure foster EU-China collaborations. Deadlines Abstract submission period: 02/02/09 - 01/04/09 Acceptance notification: 15/05/09 Early registration deadline: 15/07/09 Registration deadline: 30/10/09 Topics include Biological response Biomaterials surfaces Biomechanics Ceramics Composites Drug/gene delivery (controlled release) Injectable biomaterials Material properties/characterization Metals Modeling Biological tissues Nanotechnology/nanostructured biomaterials Polymers Tissue engineering /Regenerative Medicine Translational and clinical research

Third International NanoBio Conference

NanoBio-Zurich 2010

Registration and abstract submission is now open

The Third International NanoBio Conference will take place at ETH Zurich, August 24-27, 2010. For this 4-day conference, we will have at least 38 invited, internationally renowned speakers for plenary and two parallel sessions, as well as poster sessions and an industrial exhibition. We expect around 500 participants, 250 - 300 posters and about 15-20 exhibitors.

This meeting gathers the leaders of this progressive field from all over the world helping scientists to get an update on the most recent achievements in the different topics of nanobiotechnology, to discuss, to network, to exchange stimulating new ideas, and to take responsibility in forming public opinion about nanobiotechnology.

Sessions topics include:

1. NanoBio Sensing
2. NanoBio Materials
3. NanoBio Interfaces
4. NanoBio Devices
5. Drug delivery & Nanomedicine
6. Nanomedical imaging
7. Nanotoxicology
8. Biomimetic and Bioinspired Nano-Structured Materials and Interfaces
9. Nano-scale Characterization Techniques and Single Molecule Analysis

Follow this link to see the flyer for the Third International NanoBio Conference 2010, Zurich

NanoBio-Zurich 2010_Flyer

Stem cells 'can treat diabetes'

An experimental stem cell treatment has enabled patients with type 1 diabetes to go for as long as four years without insulin injections, researchers say.

A US-Brazilian project with 23 patients found most were able to produce their own insulin after a transplant of stem cells from their own bone marrow.

Even those who relapsed needed less insulin than before.

But writing in the journal JAMA, the team warned the treatment may only work in those very recently diagnosed.

The treatment is designed to stop the immune systems of those with type 1 diabetes, a condition which usually develops in childhood, from mistakenly destroying the cells which create insulin.

To measure its effectiveness, team from Northwestern University in the US and the Regional Blood Centre in Brazil, looked at levels of C-peptides, which show how well the body is producing insulin.

Twenty of the 23 patients who received the treatment became insulin-free - one for as long as four years. Eight had to return to insulin injections, but at reduced levels.

The treatment did not work in three of the patients, and it was also unlikely to work in patients more than three months after diagnosis of diabetes, said Dr Richard Burt of Northwestern. This was because by this stage, the immune system had destroyed the body's islet cells.

It was also unlikely to be have any therapeutic benefits for those with type 2 diabetes, mainly associated with obesity, as these patients still make insulin.

Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: "although this remains an interesting area of research, the importance of a limited extension to this study should not be overstated - this is not a cure for Type 1 diabetes."

He added: "we would like to see this experiment carried out with a control group for comparison of results and a longer-term follow up in a greater number of people.

"It is important that the researchers look at the causes of the apparent improvement in insulin production and C-peptide levels in some participants. In particular, it is crucial to find out whether this is associated with the timing of the treatment or possible side effects of it rather than the stem cell transplant itself.

"It would be wrong to unnecessarily raise the hopes of people living with diabetes about a new treatment for the condition on the back of the evidence provided in this study."

-BBC News