About

Francois Berthiaume is a professor at Rutgers University in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University (1992), a post-doctorate in Biomedical Engineering from Harvard Medical School (1994), and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Université Laval, Québec, Canada (1987). His research encompasses Metabolic and Tissue Engineering, focusing on developing systems biology frameworks to characterize and treat metabolic derangements of disease. His work involves gathering large sets of metabolic data from disease models, combining them with mass balance analysis, and linking these observations to gene expression data to elucidate underlying mechanisms. This approach aims to identify targets for multi-pronged therapies applicable to complex diseases such as diabetes, cancer, trauma, and organ rejection. In Tissue Engineering, his focus is on developing methods to attract stem cells to injury sites to promote faster wound healing and reduce scarring, utilizing implantable scaffolds and attracting agents to improve healing of skin wounds, diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, and bed sores.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Immunology
• Endocrinology
• Surgery
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology
• Biology
• Nuclear chemistry
• Physiology
• Biophysics
• Organic chemistry
• Pathology
• Composite material
• Anatomy
• Pharmacology
• Cell biology
• Biomedical engineering

Selected publications

• Antioxidant and antibacterial effects of human plasma-based scavenging protein cocktail on burn wound healing in vitro

  Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications · 2026-01-10

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  In the United States, 400,000 or more fire or burn-related injuries are reported annually. Post-burn, there is a release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a result of hemolysis. Excess ROS causes oxidative stress that harms the surrounding healthy tissue and expands the wound area. Typically, plasma scavenger proteins such as haptoglobin, hemopexin, and transferrin help neutralize ROS by binding to free hemoglobin, heme, and iron, respectively. However, in severe burns, endogenous levels of scavenging proteins may not be sufficient to scavenge these hemolytic byproducts. Therefore, we evaluated the use of a human plasma-based protein cocktail containing haptoglobin, hemopexin, and transferrin as an exogenous source to reduce ROS-mediated injury. We show that human dermal fibroblasts injured by a sublethal dose of H 2 O 2 recover their ability to close a wound gap in an in vitro scratch assay. Furthermore, CellROX staining revealed a reduction in intracellular ROS levels following protein cocktail treatment. While immediate protein cocktail treatment post-H 2 O 2 significantly improved wound closure, this benefit was abolished if protein cocktail treatment was delayed by 1 or 4 hours. We also tested the ability of the protein cocktail to inhibit bacterial growth, and found that while it was not capable of doing so by itself, it potentiated E. Coli inhibition by the common antibiotic gentamicin. In conclusion, a protein cocktail containing haptoglobin, hemopexin, and transferrin is capable of both mitigating ROS-mediated injury and potentiating the inhibitory effect of antibiotics towards bacteria. This dual effect may find applications in the treatment of burn wounds to decrease burn wound expansion and infection. • ROS post-burn cause oxidative stress that harms the surrounding healthy tissue. • Endogenous scavenging proteins may not be sufficient to control the damage on time. • Human plasma-based protein cocktail (Hp-Hpx-Tf) reduced ROS-mediated injury. • Immediate cocktail treatment enhanced wound closure in the scratch assay. • Immediate cocktail treatment reduced the intracellular ROS levels. • Cocktail along with gentamicin enhanced bacterial inhibition under iron supplement.

  PublisherDOI

• Preface: Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery for Tissue Repair

  Nano LIFE · 2026-04-21

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Antibacterial efficacy of combined atmospheric cold plasma and hydrogen peroxide treatment on a wound surrogate

  Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports · 2025-10-04

  articleOpen access

  This study aims to understand the potential combined effects of treating wound-like tissue surfaces with cold plasma (CP) and hydrogen peroxide. We assess how CP treatment generated by a surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) device achieves bacterial inactivation on two test surfaces: agar plates, representing a surface with uniform topology, and muscle tissue from a thin-sliced chicken breast, representing a non-uniform topology mimicking a wound-like surface. A 10-min CP treatment inactivates Escherichia coli (E. coli) with up to 7 log reduction in colony-forming units (CFU) on a smooth agar surface; however, on chicken breast, the same treatment yields a 0.88 log reduction. By comparison, the common antiseptic H 2 O 2 (3 %) yields a 1.06 log CFU reduction on chicken breast after 10 min of treatment. Simultaneous treatment with CP and H 2 O 2 increases E. coli inactivation to 1.69 log CFU. Bacterial inactivation is less efficient on the chicken tissue than on smooth agar surfaces. Furthermore, the CP-H 2 O 2 combination significantly improves bacterial inactivation, which can be further enhanced by extending treatment time. This work demonstrates an approach to evaluating the efficacy of combining CP with liquid antimicrobial treatments on an accessible wound surrogate with complex morphology and biochemistry. This approach has the potential to serve as a fast method to screen candidate treatments before performing animal studies. • Cold plasma (CP) and hydrogen peroxide exhibited bactericidal properties independently. • Bacterial reduction on tissue proved more difficult than inactivation on an agar surface. • A 10-min treatment of CP and hydrogen peroxide, in combination, demonstrated an increase in bacterial inactivation.

  PublisherDOI

• Electrochemical Detection of NO and Ca2+ during Cold Atmospheric Plasma Treatment of Acute Wounds: Sensor Selectivity and Stability in the Plasma-Bio-System

  Open MIND · 2025-01-01

  article

• Electrochemical sensors for in situ monitoring of reactive species during cold atmospheric plasma-based therapies

  Communications Engineering · 2025-12-09 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) is emerging as a clinically relevant therapy for dermatological conditions such as actinic keratosis, warts, and chronic wounds. However, these therapies lack strategies to monitor CAP delivery in situ and to ensure delivery of an effective CAP dose without unwanted toxicity. CAP acts as a therapeutic agent in these biomedical applications primarily (but not solely) through reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) generated at transiently high local concentrations. Here we demonstrate the use of bio-electrochemical sensors capable of real-time measurements of key CAP RONS: hydrogen peroxide and oxidation-reduction-potential (ORP). In in vitro scratch assays and in vivo murine wound models, we used these sensors to establish dose-response relationships that link CAP exposure with wound (scratch) closure dynamics, cell proliferation, oxidative stress response, and scar reduction. Our results demonstrate that CAP treatment can be continuously monitored and actively controlled in situ, providing a framework for precision plasma medicine and safer, more effective clinical translation of CAP. Jonathan Thomas and colleagues present real-time plasma effector measurements during wound treatment. In- situ monitoring enables precise plasma device control, advancing precision plasma medicine and supporting clinical translation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Recent Advancements in Chitosan-Based Biomaterials for Wound Healing

  Journal of Functional Biomaterials · 2025-01-30 · 58 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Chitosan is a positively charged natural polymer with several properties conducive to wound-healing applications, such as biodegradability, structural integrity, hydrophilicity, adhesiveness to tissue, and bacteriostatic potential. Along with other mechanical properties, some of the properties discussed in this review are antibacterial properties, mucoadhesive properties, biocompatibility, high fluid absorption capacity, and anti-inflammatory response. Chitosan forms stable complexes with oppositely charged polymers, arising from electrostatic interactions between (+) amino groups of chitosan and (-) groups of other polymers. These polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) can be manufactured using various materials and methods, which brings a diversity of formulations and properties that can be optimized for specific wound healing as well as other applications. For example, chitosan-based PEC can be made into dressings/films, hydrogels, and membranes. There are various pros and cons associated with manufacturing the dressings; for instance, a layer-by-layer casting technique can optimize the nanoparticle release and affect the mechanical strength due to the formation of a heterostructure. Furthermore, chitosan's molecular weight and degree of deacetylation, as well as the nature of the negatively charged biomaterial with which it is cross-linked, are major factors that govern the mechanical properties and biodegradation kinetics of the PEC dressing. The use of chitosan in wound care products is forecasted to drive the growth of the global chitosan market, which is expected to increase by approximately 14.3% within the next decade. This growth is driven by products such as chitoderm-containing ointments, which provide scaffolding for skin cell regeneration. Despite significant advancements, there remains a critical gap in translating chitosan-based biomaterials from research to clinical applications.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• (Invited) Brief Review: Nanoparticle-based Drug Delivery — A Historical Overview

  Nano LIFE · 2025-04-22

  article1st authorCorresponding

  This brief historical review depicts recent advancements in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems, as they have been reported in the journal Nano LIFE for the past 15 years. We begin by summarizing the types of materials used to create nanoparticles, including liposomes, polymers, metals, and carbon-based structures. We then describe their passive targeting properties and various functionalization strategies used to provide active targeting, thus improving their selectivity in vivo. We also explain the emerging use of nanoparticle drug delivery systems for applications beyond cancer therapy, such as in immune modulation and orthopedic areas. Some of the future challenges highlighted include large-scale production and regulatory hurdles, and future areas of growth include artificial intelligence-driven optimization and biogenic manufacturing.

  PublisherDOI

• Electrochemical Detection of NO and Ca2+ during Cold Atmospheric Plasma Treatment of Acute Wounds: Sensor Selectivity and Stability in the Plasma-Bio-System

  Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing · 2025-12-12

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Cold atmospheric plasmas (CAP) are a versatile tool in medical applications like wound healing. Its therapeutic benefits are partially attributed to the generation of biologically active reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). Characterization of RONS, however, typically only occurs after treatment. Here we report the first real-time in situ detection of CAP-generated nitric oxide (NO), and the simultaneous detection of cellular calcium ions (Ca²⁺) release using electrochemical sensors during CAP treatment of murine wounds. In vivo, NO rose rapidly within the first minute of CAP treatment but accumulated less overall than in PBS, reflecting reactions with wound-bed targets. In situ measurements revealed nearly double the concentrations of static endpoint assays, underscoring the importance of real-time detection. Ca²⁺ signals displayed transient, burst-like increases, likely due to CAP-induced membrane permeability and as response to oxidative stress. We also investigated the sensitivity, selectivity, and stability of the graphene oxide coated NO sensors and ion-selective Ca²⁺ sensors. Interference studies showed that the NO sensor also responds to H 2 O 2 and NO 2 − yet remains most sensitive to NO. Raman microscopy revealed progressive degradation of the graphene oxide layer after only one hour of CAP exposure, drastically reducing sensor currents. Improvements in NO sensor design will enable more accurate measurements for feedback control for plasma-based wound therapies. Ca²⁺ sensors are more robust and retained full functionality after three hours and repeated use providing a reliable diagnostic for immediate biological response. The results establish real-time electrochemical sensing as a powerful approach to monitor CAP-tissue interactions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Wireless Power-Up and Readout of Label-Free Nanosensors for In-Vivo Monitoring of Protein Concentrations in Live Animals

  Langmuir · 2025-09-12

  articleOpen access

  Tracking inflammatory biomarkers in real-time is essential for timely clinical interventions; however, wired sensors are restrictive, inconvenient, prone to infection risk, and limit continuous monitoring compared with wireless sensors. In this study, for the first time ever, to the best of our knowledge, we report a novel method for wireless power-up and readout of a label-free electronic biosensor for quantification of protein biomarkers in live animals. The sensor operates through resonant inductive coupling for wireless power transfer, enabling remote impedance measurements of a nanowell array without requiring a direct electrical connection. The receiver circuit is integrated within a 3D-printed structure optimized for application on wound sites. Experimental validation included titration of IL-6 across a wide concentration range and in vivo testing on 30 animals with induced wounds. The wireless sensor’s measurements showed a strong correlation (R2 > 0.9) with standard ELISA results. This platform offers a noninvasive, real-time, portable approach to tracking inflammation, potentially improving wound care management and patient outcomes.

  PublisherDOI

• Therapeutic Delivery of Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1 for Injury Repair

  WORLD SCIENTIFIC eBooks · 2025-03-01

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Polymerized Hemoglobins for Facilitated Oxygen Transport in Hepatic Bioreactors

  NIH · $1.4M · 2016–2021

• NIH Grant R21AR056446

  NIH · $427k · 2011

• Multifunctional Nanoparticles Containing sRAGE Potentiated Bioactive Peptides for Wound Healing

  NIH · $442k · 2016–2019

Frequent coauthors

• Martin L. Yarmush

  Shriners Hospitals for Children - Boston

  914 shared

• Arno W. Tilles

  Sentien (United States)

  210 shared

• Mehmet Toner

  Harvard University

  193 shared

• Korkut Uygun

  Shriners Hospitals for Children - Boston

  97 shared

• Maria‐Louisa Izamis

  Philips (Finland)

  96 shared

• Yaakov Nahmias

  86 shared

• Ronald G. Tompkins

  Massachusetts General Hospital

  85 shared

• Cheul H. Cho

  64 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering

  University of California, San Diego

  1996

• M.S., Biomedical Engineering

  University of California, San Diego

  1992

• B.S., Mechanical Engineering

  University of California, San Diego

  1989