PI See below

Title National Tissue Engineering Center (Multiple Awards)

Summary Regenerative Medicine Approach to the Treatment of Abdominal Compartment Syndrome in a Dog Model

PI: Stephen F. Badylak, MD, DVM, PhD
Abdominal compartment syndrome (open abdomen) is occurring with increasing incidence in wounded soldiers requiring in-theater “damage-control laparotomy”. The inability to close the fascia of the abdominal compartment following surgery results in prolonged open abdomen in these patients. Current methods of closure involve synthetic materials, high rates of infection, high morbidity, and a poor outcome. The present proposal will evaluate a regenerative medicine approach in which the abdominal wall will be reconstructed with functional musculotendinous tissue by the use of an inductive bioscaffold composed of porcine derived extracellular matrix (ECM). The study will be conducted in a dog model that mimics the human clinical situation.

Signaling and Cellular Strategies of Injectable Biomimetic Matrices for Craniofacial Bone Tissue Engineering
PIs: Charles Sfeir, DDS, PhD and Prashant Kumta, PhD
This project addresses materials development primarily involving the synthesis and characterization of novel injectable bone cement composites containing nanostructured carriers of signaling molecules and protein, as well as an investigation of the signaling properties of specific mineralized tissue extracellular matrix proteins (ECM) and the isolation and purification of stem cells. These ECM and stem cells will be incorporated into the newly synthesized injectable bone cement materials to form a novel smart biomimetic matrix, the combination of which will be assessed in an animal model to investigate their potential for craniofacial bone tissue engineering.

Rapid Engineered Autologous Blood Vessels

PI: William Wagner, PhD and David Vorp, PhD
Currently available grafts for small diameter vascular replacement or bypass are fraught with limitations, especially for soldier care purposes. It is clear that new alternatives are needed, and it is widely felt that the burgeoning field of tissue engineering will be crucial to the development of these new vascular grafts. Most vascular tissue engineering approaches rely on some sort of scaffold where cells are incorporated. However, many aspects remain unclear regarding the biomaterial properties of the scaffolds, and the cell source used to populate them. A novel poly (ester urethane) urea elastomeric scaffold has been developed and shown to have great potential for cardiovascular tissue engineering applications. Because of their multipotentiality and availability as an autologous cell source, progenitor cells are considered as the ideal source for tissue engineering. Our preliminary data, where a rapid incorporation of progenitor cells within the bioerodible polymer is achieved through a novel seeding technique, shows that a construct fully-seeded with viable cells can be achieved in a very short period of time.

Accordingly, the goal of this project is to develop a novel, bioresorbable scaffold, bulk-seeded with human stem cells, and cultured acutely in-vitro so that an optimal implant is available in a short amount of time. To this end, we propose two specific aims for this one-year project:

  • Develop a rapidly fabricated, bioerodable polymer-based vascular graft bulk-seeded with human stem cells, and
  • Test the mechanical properties, structure and functionality of the vascular graft from Specific Aim 1following an acute, optimized culture period to determine its readiness for in-vivo implantation for further development into a bio-equivalent vascular substitute.

Source National Tissue Engineering Center