Pr. Fradette has been a regular researcher at the CRCHU de Québec-Laval University since 2005, and a full professor of the Department of Surgery of the Laval University School of Medicine. After a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry (1991-1994, U Laval) and a PhD in cellular and molecular biology focused on the study of skin epithelial stem cells (1994-1999, U Laval, with L. Germain, LOEX), she acquired a specialization in gene therapy during her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh (1999-2004, with J. Glorioso III, U Pittsburgh, PA, USA). Her current research program is based on the use of human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells in regenerative medicine. Since September of 2015, she has been the director of the ThéCell network, the province of Quebec network for cell and tissue therapy supported by the FRQS.
Development of human reconstructed tissues as 3D discovery models and for clinical applications
Pr. Fradette’s current research program is based on the use of a new and abundant source of multipotential cells: the adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs). Using tissue-engineering techniques, her team uses ASCs to recreate human tissue which is needed in reconstructive surgery, such as skin, adipose, and bone-like tissue. For example, human adipose substitutes recreating the 3D tissular context in vitro are useful discovery tools for pharmaco-toxicological studies on the metabolic regulation of human adipocytes. Moreover, adipose tissues are reconstructed with the important goal of being used in the clinic as soft-tissue fillers to repair tissue loss, in cases of deep burns or tumor removal (including mastectomy). The resulting tissues are all human, and devoid of exogenous biomaterials.
Her research interests include a better understanding of the cellular interactions between adipocytes and endothelial cells, the effects of inflammatory conditions on blood capillaries and adipocyte metabolism, the impact of human ECM components on the adipogenic differentiation of ASCs, and how MMPs can influence tissue remodeling, under normal and inflammatory conditions. Current studies performed in her laboratory aim at promoting the vascularisation of thick reconstructed tissues produced under xenogenic-free culture conditions for clinical applications. Ongoing preclinical studies assess the efficacy of tissue-engineered biological dressings to accelerate the healing of skin wounds.
In collaboration with D.r M. Fortin and Dr. FA. Auger, her team also produces bone-like substitutes from ASCs.
LOEX / CMDGT
R-221
Québec, Québec
Canada G1J 1Z4
- Cuartas-Gomez, EliasDoctoral studentelias.cuartas-gomez.1@ulaval.caelias.cuartas-gomez@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
- Méroné, JaëlleInternjaelle.merone.1@ulaval.ca
- Séguin, VivianeEmployeeviviane.seguin@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
- Soltani, VidaDoctoral studentvida.soltani@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca
Assessment of antibacterial properties and skin irritation potential of anodized aluminum impregnated with various quaternary ammonium
Journal ArticleBiomater Adv, 150 , 2023.
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Top Ten Research Priorities for Psoriasis, Atopic Dermatitis and Hidradenitis Suppurativa: The SkIN Canada Priority Setting Initiative
Journal ArticleJ Cutan Med Surg, 27 (2), 2023.
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A Nanoparticle Ink Allowing the High Precision Visualization of Tissue Engineered Scaffolds by MRI
Journal ArticleSmall, 19 (30), 2023.
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A Newly Developed Chemically Defined Serum-Free Medium Suitable for Human Primary Keratinocyte Culture and Tissue Engineering Applications
Journal ArticleInt J Mol Sci, 24 (3), 2023.
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Production of Tissue-Engineered Skin Substitutes for Clinical Applications: Elimination of Serum
Journal ArticleInt J Mol Sci, 24 (16), 2023.
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Informing a Canadian Skin Science Trainee Program Based on the State of Trainee Programs Offered by International Academic Societies
Journal ArticleJ Cutan Med Surg, 27 (1), 2023.
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α-Linolenic acid and linoleic acid modulate the lipidome and the skin barrier of a tissue-engineered skin model
Journal ArticleActa Biomater, 140 , 2022.
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Preclinical Evaluation of BMP-9-Treated Human Bone-like Substitutes for Alveolar Ridge Preservation following Tooth Extraction
Journal ArticleInt J Mol Sci, 23 (6), 2022.
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Fibrillin-1 regulates white adipose tissue development, homeostasis, and function
Journal ArticleMatrix Biol, 110 , 2022.
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Biofabrication of Sodium Alginate Hydrogel Scaffolds for Heart Valve Tissue Engineering
Journal ArticleInt J Mol Sci, 23 (15), 2022.
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Active projects
- Engineering bioactive dressings from mesenchymal cells to enhance healing of irradiated skin wounds, from 2022-04-01 to 2027-03-31
- Projets structurants ThéCell 2023-2024_Greffons d’épiderme autologue en combinant thérapie génique et génie tissulaire pour traiter l’épidermolyse bulleuse jonctionnelle, from 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31
- Réseau de thérapie cellulaire, tissulaire et génique du Québec, from 2019-04-01 to 2024-03-31
- Roles of matricryptins (bioactive extracellular matrix fragments) in adipose tissue, from 2020-04-01 to 2025-03-31
- Stem cell-instructive hydrogels for intervertebral disc regeneration, from 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31
- Stimulation biomécanique des cellules primaires du ligament cruciforme antérieur humain pour les applications d'ingénierie tissulaire, from 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31
Recently finished projects
- Design and testing of a next-generation tissue-engineered living human heart valve, from 2020-03-31 to 2023-03-31
- Skin Investigation Network of Canada (SkIN Canada), from 2020-01-01 to 2022-12-31
- Tissue Engineering of a functional Urethra for Autologous Reconstruction, from 2018-04-01 to 2022-03-31