Dr. Agnes Klar
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Academic Career Length
15Years (2012-Present)
(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)
Representative Publications
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Journal Article
Shima TavakoliAgnes KlarSkin is the largest organ of the human body, protecting it against the external environment. Despite high self-regeneration potential, severe skin defects will not heal spontaneously and need to be covered by skin substitutes. Tremendous progress has been made in the field of skin tissue engineering, in recent years, to develop new skin substitutes. Among them, hydrogels are one of the candidates with most potential to mimic the native skin microenvironment, due to their porous and hydrated molecular structure. They can be applied as a permanent or temporary dressing for different wounds to support the regeneration and healing of the injured epidermis, dermis, or both. Based on the material used for their fabrication, hydrogels can be subdivided into two main groups—natural and synthetic. Moreover, hydrogels can be reinforced by incorporating nanoparticles to obtain “in situ” hybrid hydrogels, showing superior properties and tailored functionality. In addition, different sensors can be embedded in hydrogel wound dressings to provide real-time information about the wound environment. This review focuses on the most recent developments in the field of hydrogel-based skin substitutes for skin replacement. In particular, we discuss the synthesis, fabrication, and biomedical application of novel “smart” hydrogels.
1 June 2014 in Biomaterials
Journal Article
Agnes KlarSGSinan Güven
Sinan GüvenTBThomas Biedermann
Thomas BiedermannJLJoachim Luginbühl
Joachim LuginbühlSBSophie Böttcher-Haberzeth
Sophie Böttcher-Haberzeth
ERErnst Reichmann
Ernst Reichmann +4
Journal Article
Shima TavakoliAgnes KlarAs the largest organ in the human body, the skin has the function of maintaining balance and protecting from external factors such as bacteria, chemicals, and temperature. If the wound does not heal in time after skin damage, it may cause infection or life-threatening complications. In particular, medical treatment of large skin defects caused by burns or trauma remains challenging. Therefore, human bioengineered skin substitutes represent an alternative approach to treat such injuries. Based on the chemical composition and scaffold material, skin substitutes can be classified into acellular or cellular grafts, as well as natural-based or synthetic skin substitutes. Further, they can be categorized as epidermal, dermal, and composite grafts, based on the skin component they contain. This review presents the common commercially available skin substitutes and their clinical use. Moreover, the choice of an appropriate hydrogel type to prepare cell-laden skin substitutes is discussed. Additionally, we present recent advances in the field of bioengineered human skin substitutes using three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting techniques. Finally, we discuss different skin substitute developments to meet different criteria for optimal wound healing.
1 January 2017 in BioMed Research International
Journal Article
Perception of the adipose tissue has changed dramatically over the last few decades. Identification of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) ultimately transformed paradigm of this tissue from a passive energy depot into a promising stem cell source with properties of self-renewal and multipotential differentiation. As compared to bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs), ASCs are more easily accessible and their isolation yields higher amount of stem cells. Therefore, the ASCs are of high interest for stem cell-based therapies and skin tissue engineering. Currently, freshly isolated stromal vascular fraction (SVF), which may be used directly without any expansion, was also assessed to be highly effective in treating skin radiation injuries, burns, or nonhealing wounds such as diabetic ulcers. In this paper, we review the characteristics of SVF and ASCs and the efficacy of their treatment for skin injuries and disorders.
30 November 2015 in Pediatric Surgery International
Journal Article
Agnes KlarSGSinan Güven
Sinan GüvenJZJakub Zimoch
Jakub Zimoch
NZNatalia A. Zapiórkowska
Natalia A. Zapiórkowska
TBThomas Biedermann
Thomas BiedermannMMMartin Meuli
Martin Meuli +5
22 October 2013 in PLOS ONE
Journal Article
MKMarta Kisiel
Marta Kisiel
Agnes KlarMVManuela Ventura
Manuela Ventura
JBJos Buijs
Jos BuijsMMMarc-Krystelle Mafina
Marc-Krystelle Mafina
JHJons Hilborn
Jons Hilborn +1
Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is considered a promising adjuvant for the treatment of skeletal non-union and spinal fusion. However, BMP-2 delivery in a conventional collagen scaffold necessitates a high dose to achieve an efficacious outcome. To lower its effective dose, we precomplexed BMP-2 with the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) dermatan sulfate (DS) or heparin (HP), prior to loading it into a hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel. In vitro release studies showed that BMP-2 precomplexed with DS or HP had a prolonged delivery compared to without GAG. BMP-2-DS complexes achieved a slightly faster release in the first 24 h than HP; however, both delivered BMP-2 for an equal duration. Analysis of the kinetic interaction between BMP-2 and DS or HP showed that HP had approximately 10 times higher affinity for BMP-2 than DS, yet it equally stabilized the protein, as determined by alkaline phosphatase activity. Ectopic bone formation assays at subcutaneous sites in rats demonstrated that HA hydrogel-delivered BMP-2 precomplexed with GAG induced twice the volume of bone compared with BMP-2 delivered uncomplexed to GAG.
About Me
Agnes Klar is a group leader and deputy head at the Tissue Biology Research Unit (TBRU) at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. She is principal investigator in regenerative medicine focusing on on skin tissue engineering, vascularization, and biomaterials. In particular, her research interests include the characterization and application of prevascularized skin analogs using adipose-derived (stem) cells. Moreover, she is investigating the pattern of inflammatory cell infiltration during skin regeneration following graft transplantation. Her scientific track record includes over 30 original peer-reviewed scientific publications.
She is supervising undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students. She is involved in university courses for BSc and MSc students in medicine and life sciences. Additionally, she serves as a mentor for the biomedicine PhD programme at the Life Science Zurich Graduate School.
Agnes Klar has been involved in a number of international grants, including projects of the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie network (MultiTERM, iTERM), COST Action Mye-InfoBank, FP7-Health EuroSkinGraf, and SNSF. Further, she was involved in the Clinical Research Priority Program at the University of Zurich, Swiss Center for Regenerative Medicine, and Children’s Research Center at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich.