Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Engineering Commons^™

The Impact Of The Mitochondrial Metabolism Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Upon Differentiation, Stefanie T. Shahan

Engineering and Applied Science Theses & Dissertations

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be differentiated into any cell type found in the body. The derivation of a stem cell derived β cell (SC-β) capable of responding to glucose by secreting insulin was hugely significant for diabetes research and opened up the possibility of cell replacement therapy to combat this widespread disease (Pagliuca et al. 2014). The optimization of differentiation procedures such as this could improve yield, function, cost, and efficiency of a stem cell-derived product. Current approaches to improve differentiation are primarily focused on signal transduction pathways, while the metabolic state of the cells has received little ...

Mri Applications In Tissue Engineering, Shadi Othman

Science Seminar Series

Shadi Othman of the School of Engineering and Computer Science Bioengineering Program, will speak on his research on MRI applications in tissue engineering.

Ultrasonically Responsive Tissue Engineering Scaffolds For The Temporal Control Over Osteo-Inductive Growth Factor Delivery, Catherine Linh

Senior Honors Projects

In 2012, approximately 6.8 million people in the United States were diagnosed with orthopedic injuries or diseases. Over 500,000 people in the United States underwent bone grafting procedures, which cost 2.5 billion dollars per year and can result in complications. Polymer-based grafting scaffolds can facilitate 3D bone tissue growth in a localized, sustained manner. However, bone regeneration requires the orchestration of a sequence of events. Current scaffolds based on degradation and diffusion cannot provide sequential deliveries. We aimed to design a polymer scaffold that can release one payload diffusively at early time points, followed by ultrasonically triggered ...

3d Printing Of Biodegradable Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering Applications, Joe Morin, Michael Pickett, Amy Abraham, Tiera Martinelli

The Research and Scholarship Symposium

With the recent improvements in three dimensional (3D) printing technologies, the potential for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have significantly improved. One key idea in tissue engineering is to specifically design scaffolds to aid in the healing process by being incorporated into the body’s own tissue. The overall goal of this project is to investigate 3D printable scaffold design to access suitability for tissue replacement. This was accomplished by analyzing the effect of the material used to create the scaffolds, pore size, and pore shape on mechanical stiffness and cell culturability. Based on published literature, it was determined that ...

Chemical And Physical Priming Of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells To Alter Nonviral Gene Delivery Outcomes, Tyler Kozisek, Andrew Hamann, Amy Mantz, Mathias Schubert, Eva Schubert, Angela K. Pannier

Biological Systems Engineering--Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are a multipotent cell, meaning they are able to differentiate into a more mature cell type, such as osteocytes, chondrocytes, and adipocytes, that are found in numerous tissues in the human body, such as bone marrow, fat, and muscle. Since hMSCs can be derived from adult human tissues, they do not have the same ethical concern associated with them as other stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells. Due to hMSCs multipotency and ease of obtaining, they have become one of the most widely researched stem cell types in areas such ...

Computing Spatiotemporal Heat Maps Of Lipid Electropore Formation: A Statistical Approach, Willy Wriggers, Frederica Castellani, Julio A. Kovacs, P. Thomas Vernier

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

We extend the multiscale spatiotemporal heat map strategies originally developed for interpreting molecular dynamics simulations of well-structured proteins to liquids such as lipid bilayers and solvents. Our analysis informs the experimental and theoretical investigation of electroporation, that is, the externally imposed breaching of the cell membrane under the influence of an electric field of sufficient magnitude. To understand the nanoscale architecture of electroporation, we transform time domain data of the coarse-grained interaction networks of lipids and solvents into spatial heat maps of the most relevant constituent molecules. The application takes advantage of our earlier graph-based activity functions by accounting for ...

Shape Recovery With Concomitant Mechanical Strengthening Of Amphiphilic Shape Memory Polymers In Warm Water, Ben Zhang, Janae E. Debartolo, Jie Song

University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications

Maintaining adequate or enhancing mechanical properties of shape memory polymers (SMPs) after shape recovery in an aqueous environment are greatly desired for biomedical applications of SMPs as self-fitting tissue scaffolds or minimally invasive surgical implants. Here we report stable temporary shape fixing and facile shape recovery of biodegradable triblock amphiphilic SMPs containing a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) center block and flanking poly(lactic acid) or poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) blocks in warm water, accompanied by concomitant enhanced mechanical strengths. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analyses revealed that the unique stiffening of the amphiphilic ...

Differentiation Of Kidney Progenitors Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells And Conditioned Media Of Renal Cortical Tubular Epithelial Cells, Matthew Nielsen 3644978, Steven Passey, Maxwell Beers, Alonzo Cook

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

No abstract provided.

Differentiation And Containment Of Derived Pancreatic Beta Cells, Caden Duffy, Alonzo Cook Ph.D.

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Currently, the only permanent cure for Type 1 Diabetes is a pancreatic or islet transplant. With the shortage of donors, we are progressing research towards alternative therapies by differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells into derived pancreatic β-cells that can be transplanted and used as treatment for Type 1 Diabetes. We are investigating methods to increase the yield of fully derived, insulin producing pancreatic β-cells and are additionally researching the use of hydrophilized expanded polytetrafluoroethylene for use in cell containment devices. These devices could offer a future alternative for islet transplantation in human patients.

Beating Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes On Porcine Extracellular Matrix, Kaitlyn J. Mcentire, Alonzo Cook, Toph Knutson, Gevan Eldredge, Hunter Behrmann, Clayton Holding, Matthew Hodgson, Dillon Despain, Jacob Preslar, Joseph Rich, Matthew Stephens, Matthew Trone, Michael Neff, Sam Worrall, Joshua Mcclellan, Abbie Kondel, Donnie Pfeifer

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Despite modern technology and developments in heart disease treatment and prevention, heart disease remains the number one cause of death in America. With an inability to meet an ever-increasing demand for heart transplants and the dangers of immunosuppressant drugs, any potential alternative to cardiac transplantation must be pursued. The end goal of this research is to engineer biocompatible tissues that are fully functional to repair or replace damaged portions of the heart following the loss of cardiac function. This research investigates the effect of porcine extracellular matrix as the scaffold for beating IPS-differentiated cardiomyocytes.

Nerve Growth Factor And Lysophosphatidylcholine In Peripheral Nerve Repair, Keaton Karlinsey 8741888

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

NGF, Nerve Growth Factor, Lysophosphatidylcholine, Peripheral nerve regeneration, Sciatic nerve, Sciatic crush injury

Cancer Therapeutic Onconase And Lyophilized Cell-Free Protein Expression Systems, Porter Hunt, Bradley C. Bundy, Amin Salehi, Mark Thomas Smith, Jacob Williams, William G. Pitt, Anthony Bennett

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Recently reported high-yield synthesis of cytotoxic protein Onconase from lyophilized E. coli extract preparations demonstrates the utility of lyophilized cell-free protein expression and its potential for creating on-demand biotherapeutics, vaccines, biosensors, biocatalysts, and high throughput protein synthesis.

Analysis Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration, Jaron J. Lundwall, Alonzo Cook

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Due to accident related neural damage, many people’s lives are impaired or limited in what they can do. Current medical practices are limited at helping distal and proximal nerve stubs regenerate. Many recent research studies have focused on trying to improve this problem by understanding how cut or crushed nerves heal. Our study hopes to help these efforts by improving non-invasive analysis techniques of nerve growth. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is one possible solution to creating a reliable analysis technique that in the future could be used on humans. However, current methods of taking MRI scans involve toxic resolving ...

Developing A Renal Cell Carcinoma Kidney-Tumor-On-A-Chip To Mimic Tumor-Induced Angiogenesis, Connor Tsuchida, Chris Miller, Ying Zheng

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Currently, models for testing developing cancer therapeutics are inaccurate. To address this issue, the Zheng Lab is developing a kidney-tumor-on-a-chip to mimic tumor-induced angiogenesis. Initial steps were taken toward this ultimate goal by creating an in vitro study between human kidney microvascular endothelial cells and renal cell carcinoma spheroids. The experiments showed an increase in endothelial sprouts in the presence of renal cell carcinoma spheroids vs. normal kidney cortex spheroids.

In Vitro Antioxidant Oxidative Stress Treatment Model In Microgravity, Matt Clegg, Charles P. Harding, Taylor Clegg, Jon Takemoto, Elizabeth Vargis

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

We propose that the use of individual or a combination of antioxidants (specifically DL-alpha tocopherol phosphate disodium salt, mesobiliverdin, and L-glutathione) with astronauts in microgravity will reduce the effects of oxidative stress caused by ionizing radiation and muscular atrophy.

Molecular Modeling Of Antibody-Antigen Binding Near Solid Surfaces, Derek Bush, Thomas Knotts

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

Antibody microarrays are biosensors that have the potential to revolutionize molecular detection in medicine, scientific research, and national defense. However, current microarrays are not widely used due to problems including poor reproducibility and signal quality, unbalanced antibody performance, and cross-reactivity. Prior work in the area focused mainly on the stability of the antibody alone and not its affinity for its antigen. This presentation shows results of using molecular simulation to determine how different types of surfaces affect antigen binding to surface-tethered antibodies. The results offer an unprecedented, molecular-level view into these protein-protein-surface interactions and how to drive binding to occur.

Assessing Dprestin & Nadc1 (Indy) Interaction On Calcium Oxalate Crystal Formation In A Drosophila Model Of Kidney Stones, Jessica Lin

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) accounts for >70%of kidney stones, yet why CaOx stones form is poorly understood. While several factors contribute to the stone aggregation and growth, elucidating the roles of oxalate transporters can help demystify this phenomenon. Using a Drosophila model to study the formation and inhibition of CaOx crystals in the fly Malpighian tubule (MT), oxalate transport via dPrestin—the fly Slc26a6 Cl^-/Ox^2- exchanger was studied using both electrophysiology and MT dissection with CaOx birefringence assays. Here, the fly model suffices as it recapitulates renal oxalate excretion. Additionally, the mammalian dicarboxylate transporter NaDC1 (Indy in Drosophila ...

Phylogenomic Analysis Of Copepoda (Arthropoda, Crustacea) Reveals Unexpected Similarities With Earlier Proposed Morphological Phylogenies, Seong-Il Eyun

Papers from the Nebraska Center for Biotechnology

Background: Copepods play a critical role in marine ecosystems but have been poorly investigated in phylogenetic studies. Morphological evidence supports the monophyly of copepods, whereas interordinal relationships continue to be debated. In particular, the phylogenetic position of the order Harpacticoida is still ambiguous and inconsistent among studies. Until now, a small number of molecular studies have been done using only a limited number or even partial genes and thus there is so far no consensus at the order-level.

Results: This study attempted to resolve phylogenetic relationships among and within four major copepod orders including Harpacticoida and the phylogenetic position of ...

Developing Afm Techniques For Testing Peg Hydrogels, Hannah L. Cebull, Jessica Stukel, Rebecca Willits

Honors Research Projects

Many instruments are used to find elastic properties of biological samples using methods such as tensile and bending tests, but using the atomic force microscope (AFM) is considered a non-destructive method because it can provide repeated local stiffness information without damaging the sample. It additionally allows the sample to be tested in an aqueous environment, which is optimal for soft materials such as hydrogels. The nanoindentation is performed via cantilever, measuring the deflection of the cantilever during the contact of the sample using a laser. Compared to hard samples, testing soft materials can present more challenges when working with the ...

Modulating The Innate Immune Response To Electrospun Scaffolds And Polymer Degradative Byproducts, Daniel Abebayehu

Theses and Dissertations

Implanted biomaterials often induce inflammation that frequently leads to the foreign body response, fibrosis, and the failure of the implant. Thus, it is important to evaluate how cells interact with materials to promote a more regenerative response. It is critical to determine how to modulate the response of tissue resident innate immune cells, as they are among the first cells to interact with implanted materials. Among tissue resident innate immune cells are mast cells, which are inflammatory sentinels that degranulate and orchestrate the fate of other cell populations, such as monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes. Mast cells have also been reported ...