Starch-based solid foams as cell support for bone regeneration

Solid starch-based foams are produced using the extrusion process. Starches of various botanical origins are used and transformed under various conditions (temperature, mechanical energy, water content) in order to vary the structures of the porous materials obtained, from the molecular to the macroscopic scale.

The rates of glucose production during enzymatic degradation in the presence of the enzyme amyloglucosidase are characterised and linked to the structure of the materials. A finite element modelling approach is being developed to predict the optimal structures for degradation.

The foams will be used by Inserm's B3OA laboratory as a nutrient support for the growth of mesenchymal cells.