Tissue Engineering
Cecilia Giachelli (Bioengineering)
The Giachelli lab is interested in biomaterial control of stem cell differentiation for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine application. Current work focuses on directed epithelial stem cell differentiation using surface modification to engage notch signaling pathways. Other areas of interest include scaffold control of vascular endothelial, smooth muscle and valve progenitor cell differentiation.
Daniel G. Miller (Pediatrics)
Dr. Miller and members of his research group utilize induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSc) made from the skin cells of individuals with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) to understand the etiology of this debilitating condition. The hypothesis is that FSHD is caused by a defect in muscle development and/or maintenance so studying differences between control and patient embryonic cells as they differentiate to form muscle may reveal key mechanisms of disease pathology. Dr. Miller is also interested in treatment strategies for genetic conditions so members of his research group use vectors based on Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) to perform gene targeting in primary human cells. This approach is currently being applied to keratinocytes from patients affected with a skin blistering condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa. The molecular consequence of disease-causing mutations can also be studied by creating the same mutations in primary human cells, or correcting mutations in cells from affected patients.
Dr. Miller also sees patients with genetic conditions in the pediatric medical genetics clinic at Children’s Hospital.
Buddy Ratner (Bioengineering)
Stem cells proliferate and differentiate in response to micromechanical cues, surface biological signals, orientational directives and chemical gradients. To control stem cell proliferation and differentiation, the Ratner lab brings 30 years experience in surface control of biology, polymer scaffold fabrication and controlled release of bioactive agents to address the challenges of directing stem cell differentiation and subsequent tissue formation.
Michael Regnier (Bioengineering)
The Regnier lab works in a highly collaborative environment to develop both cell replacement and gene therapies approaches to treat diseased and failing hearts and skeletal muscle. Cell replacement strategies include development and testing of tissue engineered constructs. Gene therapies are target and improve myofilament contractile protein function.
Mehmet Sarikaya (Genetically Engineered Materials Science and Engineering Center, Materials Science and Engineering)
Our research focuses on Molecular Biomimetics in which we use combinatorial mutagenesis to select peptides with specific affinity to desired materials, use bioinformatics-based pathways to in-silico design peptides, tailor their structure and function using genetic engineering protocols, couple them with synthetic self-assembled molecular hybrids, and use them as molecular tools in practical medicine and materials technologies. Our focus at the biology/materials interface incorporates molecular biology and nanotechnology, computational biology and bioinformatics, molecular assemblers, bio-enabled nanophotonics (quantum-dot and surface-enhanced probes), and peptide-based matrices for neural, dental and soft tissue regeneration.
