We are proud to announce that a research team from CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology has been honored with the Best Poster Award at the prestigious Biomaterials International 2025 conference, organized by the University of Washington in Seattle.

The awarded project focused on an innovative approach to the accelerated endothelialization of vascular steel implants using endothelial cells — the cells that naturally line the interior surface of blood vessels.

By applying human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), the researchers were able to create a biologically active layer directly on the surface of the steel implant. This method has the potential to significantly improve implant integration with the patient’s body and reduce the risk of inflammatory response.

The work represents a promising step forward toward a new generation of biocompatible vascular implants that do not require additional polymer coatings, which are still commonly used today but can trigger undesired side effects.

The award was accepted on behalf of the team by Ph.D. Eng. Paulina Trzaskowska and Ph.D. Eng. Ewa Rybak.

Project authors:

CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology:

Ph.D. Eng. Paulina Trzaskowska, Ph.D. Eng. Ewa Rybak, Ph.D. Eng. Maciej Trzaskowski, Ph.D. Eng. Jakub Krzemiński, M.Sc. Eng. Dominik Baraniecki

Collaborator: Prof. Iwona Cicha (University Hospital Erlangen, Germany)

Poster title:

“Fast endothelialization of magnetic steel using SPION-laden human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC)”

The research was carried out with the support of Warsaw University of Technology as part of the Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB) program, under the following actions:

– Young PW II (contract no. CPR-IDUB/42/Z01/2024)

– Mobility PW V

Some of the research was conducted using equipment purchased under the MAT-lab-1 initiative (contract no. 1820/122/Z01/POB5/2022).

Congratulations to the entire team!

This achievement is a strong example of how Polish science contributes to the advancement of modern biomedical technologies.