Current News

An international group of scientists in the joint study of the laboratory of the Wistar Institute, University of Pittsburgh, and I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University discovered the change in activity of one of the immune cells types called neutrophils during cancer development: They begin to prevent other immune cells from fighting tumors, and thus decelerate treatment. The scientists found protein causing such changes and demonstrated that suppressing its activity in the cells delays cancer development. The research details are published in Nature.  McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Valerian Kagan, PhD, Professor and Vice-Chairman in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health as well as a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, the Department of Radiation Oncology, and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, and also the Director of the Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, is a co-author of the study.

Read More

Reversibly paralyzing and heavily sedating hospitalized patients with severe breathing problems do not improve outcomes in most cases, according to a National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial conducted at dozens of North American hospitals and led by clinician-scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Colorado schools of medicine.

Read More

Researchers have made groundbreaking strides in brain-computer interface (BCI) research, allowing paralyzed individuals to connect mind to machine and control robotic devices with their brains. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants to tap into this breakthrough technology and develop a nonsurgical option that provides a new way for able-bodied individuals to interact with machines.

Read More

Elizabeth (Abby) Stahl, PhD, former student in the lab of McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member Bryan Brown, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering with secondary appointments in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, is one of many examples of how sciVelo rounds out mentoring with academic entrepreneurship experiences.  Dr. Stahl is now a postdoctoral scholar with Jennifer Doudna, PhD, CRISPR-Cas9 inventor, at University of California, Berkeley.

Read More

The same sources thought to inflict oxidative stress on cells—pollution, diesel exhaust, smoking and obesity—also are associated with shorter telomeres, the protective tips on the ends of the chromosomal shoelace.

Read More

Much like cancer, sepsis isn’t simply one condition but rather many conditions that could benefit from different treatments, according to the results of a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study involving more than 60,000 patients. McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty members who are co-authors on the study include:

Read More

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Rory Cooper, PhD, director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories at Pitt, was recently honored with his U.S. Patent and Trademark Office inventor trading card and portrait (pictured).

Read More

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Thomas Rando, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, and California and Florida researchers recently developed a two-pronged method that makes mouse leg muscles regrow better. Their research was recently published in Communications Biology.

Read More

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition, developed by The University of Queensland, helps higher degree students hone their research communication skills by challenging them to effectively explain their research in three minutes to a non-specialist audience. The University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering held an inaugural school-wide pre-qualifying event where the Department of Bioengineering swept all three awards.

Read More

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a condition where the organs in the pelvis push against the vagina, creating a “bulge” that can extend outside of the body. It results from a weakening of the muscles and tissues that help support the pelvic organs. This disorder affects many women, but surgical treatments with polypropylene mesh – devices initially designed for hernia repairs, not vaginal use – often result in complications.

Read More

As Next Pittsburgh approached its fifth anniversary covering the people and places moving Pittsburgh forward, this milestone got them thinking: What will the next five years look like?  Who are the people who will be breaking new ground, driving positive progress and innovating to build a better and brighter Pittsburgh for all of us?

Read More

Inari Medical, Inc. announced the publication of its 106-patient prospective multicenter FlowTriever Mechanical Pulmonary Embolectomy (FLARE) study for the treatment of intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE).  The study was published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.  FLARE was conducted under the direction of co-principal investigators, Kenneth Rosenfield, MD, Section Head for Vascular Medicine and Intervention at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and Victor Tapson, MD, Associate Director, Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.

Read More

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Jelena Janjic, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, recently participated in Carnegie Mellon University’s TEDx program.  In her talk entitled “When in Pain, Innovate,” Dr. Janjic challenged the current approach to pain management to designing new pain medicines and took her audience through innovations in nanotechnology that focus on a unique approach to remedy and diagnose pain. Watch her presentation here. (starts around 4:06:20)

Read More

One Valve is a non-clotting, tissue-inductive prosthetic heart valve developed in the laboratories of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine which won the $15,000 prize at the 2019 Randall Family Big Idea Competition.  Collaborators on this effort include:

Read More

The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine applauds its affiliated faculty members who were recently recognized by Pittsburgh Magazine. This year’s list was excerpted from The Best Doctors in America 2019-2020 database, which includes close to 40,000 U.S. doctors in more than 450 medical specialty/subspecialty combinations.   The Best Doctors in America database is compiled and maintained by Best Doctors, Inc.

Read More

Joon S. Lee, MD, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer of the UPMC Insurance Services Division including its flagship the UPMC Health Plan. In this prominent role, Dr. Lee will provide medical leadership for the clinical team serving the 3.5 million members of the UPMC insurance and health management companies. He will direct clinical innovation efforts to improve health outcomes and will further advance UPMC’s goals as an integrated delivery and financing system. In addition to his role as Chief Medical Officer, he will continue his faculty appointment in the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Lee will report to Diane Holder, Executive Vice President of UPMC, President of Insurance Services and President and CEO UPMC Health Plan.

Read More

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program is designed to ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.

Read More

A major milestone on its strategic mission to lead in sepsis diagnostics, Beckman Coulter recently announced that its Early Sepsis Indicator has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sepsis is a global healthcare crisis that affects more than 30 million people worldwide. The Early Sepsis Indicator is a first-of-its-kind, hematology-based cellular biomarker that is designed to help emergency department physicians identify patients with sepsis or at increased risk of developing sepsis.

Read More

Collaboration and competition are basic instincts among biological species, from the simplest single-celled organisms to reptiles, fish and primates, as well as humans. This dynamic behavior – the result of millions of years of evolution – is difficult to replicate in synthetic systems. However, chemical engineers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering have recreated these responses in an environment of microscopic particles, sheets, and catalysts, effectively mimicking responses of feeding, fighting, and fleeing.

Read More

Carnegie Mellon University’s Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, PhD, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in recognition of his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.  Dr. Matyjaszewski is an affiliated faculty member of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Read More

A new bed transfer device makes life easier — and safer — for patients and caregivers.  NextHealth, Inc., in partnership with McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Rory Cooper, PhD, and team members from University of Pittsburgh’s Human Engineering Research Laboratory (HERL), developed the AgileLife Transfer & Mobility System™ (“TMS”), the only “Zero Lift” transfer and repositioning system that affects better outcomes for immobile individuals, their families, caregivers and their providers through the continuum of care.

Read More

In her PittMed article, Elaine Vitone reviewed human performance optimization efforts by numerous University of Pittsburgh researchers and the results of their studies on the functioning of the human body.  Included in her article were highlights from the work of McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty members:

Read More

Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) treats epilepsy by detecting seizures and intervening with a jolt of electric current. Over time, most patients find their seizures become fewer and further between. Now, for the first time, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC—including McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member R. Mark Richardson, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurological surgery at Pitt’s School of Medicine and director of epilepsy and movement disorders surgery at UPMC—have a better understanding of why this happens.

Read More

As pioneers in the field of regenerative medicine, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty and staff are both obligated and delighted to contribute to the growth of the field by participating in the career development of young scientists.  McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine faculty member Julie Phillippi, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, recently participated in a panel discussion for sophomore and junior girls from the Fox Chapel Area High School sponsored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW).  Students were encouraged to interact with Dr. Phillippi and other panel experts in an effort to expand their horizons while considering career options.

Read More

In the years following bariatric surgery, a person’s overall eating behaviors and the amount of time spent watching television, playing video games and using a computer for recreation are a better indication of long-term weight loss success than specific weight control practices like counting calories.

Read More

Dr.  Maria Simbra, Health Editor from Pittsburgh’s local CBS channel KDKA, recently visited the University of Pittsburgh’s Rehab Neural Engineering Lab for an update on the work being done with the sensorimotor microelectrode brain-machine interface and generating ‘touch’ sensations.  She visited with Nathan Copeland who injured his spinal cord in a 2004 car accident, and he has been instrumental to the research in the lab.

Read More

The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine Educational Outreach Program takes its researchers many places.  Recently, McKnight Elementary School Science in McCandless, PA, held a science night for its students and families.

Read More

Starfish can repair injured arms and reptiles can regrow severed tails; from bacteria to humans, every species is capable of regeneration, albeit to variable extents. These functions help make species more resilient, but how can we apply the knowledge of these regenerative mechanisms to improve human health? The University of Pittsburgh Department of Bioengineering has been collaboratively working to address this question through research efforts in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Read More

In a follow-up to the recent McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine Scientific Retreat Panel Discussion, “Hope vs. Hype of Stem Cell Therapy,” J. Peter Rubin, MD, Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery, the UPMC Endowed Professor of Plastic Surgery, Director of UPMC Wound Healing Services, and Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, was a guest on Pittsburgh’s NPR News Station WESA program, The Confluence.

Read More

In a major medical breakthrough, Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers have ‘printed’ the world’s first 3D vascularized engineered heart using a patient’s own cells and biological materials.  The engineered heart completely matches the immunological, cellular, biochemical and anatomical properties of the patient.

Read More

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, PhD, J.C. Warner Professor of Natural Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University and served as the head of the Chemistry Department, has been admitted to the Australian Academy of Science as a Corresponding Member for his outstanding scientific contributions.  His fundamental contributions have changed the face of free radical chemistry and polymer science.

Read More

Technology developed in the McGowan Institute Medical Devices Lab under the leadership of William Federspiel, PhD, William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, and Critical Care Medicine has been incorporated into products for clinical use by ALung, a University of Pittsburgh spinout company.  Dr. Federspiel is the Head of the Scientific Advisory Board and co-founder of ALung Technologies, Inc. The ALung devices are now being evaluated in several clinical trials.   ALung is the leading provider of low-flow extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) technologies for treating patients with acute respiratory failure.

Read More

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Joseph Glorioso III, PhD, Co-founder, CODA Biotherapeutics, and Professor and Emeritus Chair, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is working on a gene therapy approach for treating chronic pain.  CODA is developing engineered neurotransmitter receptors that are activated exclusively by orally bioavailable drugs to control the activity of hyperexcitable neurons responsible for chronic neuropathic pain. The gene encoding the receptor is delivered to dysfunctional neurons by proprietary viral vectors that are optimized for robust and targeted gene transfer. Standard neurosurgical procedures are used to administer these viral vectors directly to the neurons to be controlled. Once expressed, the engineered receptor can be activated by the drug to modulate neuronal activity. This enables the selective, tunable and reversible regulation of the receptor – and hence cellular activity – based on the dosing regimen of the drug. CODA is engineering receptors to have exquisite sensitivity for the pharmacological activator, which should dramatically limit off-target side effects that plague many pharmaceutical treatments.

Read More

Katherine Malmo recently reported for PT in Motion the importance of physical therapy in the success of future regenerative medicine therapies.  As regenerative medicine helps the body restore biological function lost to age, disease, injury, or congenital abnormality, it can be accomplished with the help of medical devices and organs, biomaterials, and cellular therapies.  These latter treatment options need support through focused, personalized physical therapy to be successful.

Read More

New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center sheds light on how tumors use the body’s regulators of immunity for their own benefit. Published in Nature Immunology, the findings could be used to develop the next generation of immune therapies to fight various cancers.  McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member James Luketich, MD—Henry T. Bahnson Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the Chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the Chief, Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, the Director, Thoracic Surgical Oncology, the Co-Director, Lung Cancer Center, the Associate Director of Surgical Affairs, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, and the Director, Mark Ravitch/Leon C. Hirsh Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery—is a co-author on the paper.

Read More

Total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) is a surgical procedure used to treat severe complications of chronic pancreatitis (CP) or very high risk of pancreatic cancer while reducing the risk of severe diabetes mellitus.

Read More

The 15th Annual Kadir Has Awards were held on Friday, March 22, 2019, in Istanbul, Turkey. Member of the Science Academy, Ivet Bahar, PhD, received the “Kadir Has” Outstanding Achievement Award for her contributions to the development of theoretical and computational models for explaining the functional dynamics of biomolecular systems as well as mentoring and teaching a new wave of scientists. She was presented with the award by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Kadir Has University, Mr. Nuri Has, the Kadir Has Foundation President, Mr. Can Has, and the President of Kadir Has University, Dr. Sondan Durukanoglu Feyiz.

Read More

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member Ipsita Banerjee, PhD, associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, is the recipient of the School’s 2019 Faculty Diversity Award.

Read More

Trevor Kickliter, a junior mechanical engineering student in the Swanson School of Engineering and a team member in the laboratory of McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty member David Vorp, PhD, was selected as one of six undergraduate researchers to represent the University of Pittsburgh at the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Meeting of the Minds Conference hosted by the University of Louisville, March 29-31, 2019.  Mr. Kickliter presented his research on the use of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) as a promising alternative to traditional surgical therapy for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

Read More

Pancreatic cancer is a grim diagnosis, with a five-year survival rate of less than 9 percent. To improve those odds, researchers at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine sought genetic signatures in the largest study of its kind that could be used to better match drugs to patients and for early detection.

Read More