Tissue-Guided Engineering Of Polyethylene Glycol Hydrogels,
2017
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Tissue-Guided Engineering Of Polyethylene Glycol Hydrogels, Lauren Jansen
Doctoral Dissertations
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogels are tunable cell culture platforms that recapitulate tissue geometry, water content, and bulk modulus. Despite these benefits, PEG hydrogels elicit an acute immune response, limiting their use in regenerative medicine, and they critically underrepresent the cell-instructive proteins found in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, I developed a new class of tissue-specific PEG-based materials and provided biocompatible strategies to improve the user handling and cell viability post-encapsulation when using these hydrogels. I also demonstrated that decreasing the protein fouling to PEG does not decrease the foreign body response to implanted hydrogels, a common misconception in the field. …
Elucidating The Mechanical, Structural, Functional, And Molecular Mechanisms Involved In Irreversible Vascular Changes In Aortic Coarctation,
2017
Marquette University
Elucidating The Mechanical, Structural, Functional, And Molecular Mechanisms Involved In Irreversible Vascular Changes In Aortic Coarctation, Brandon Wegter
Master's Theses (2009 -)
Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a constriction of the thoracic aorta and is one of the most common congenital cardiovascular defects. Treatment by surgical correction has saved the lives of thousands of children, but many still have a reduced lifespan due to hypertension. Previous results using our novel rabbit model showed that the current treatment guideline of a 20 mmHg blood pressure gradient (BPG) induces irreversible vascular changes, which persisted despite correction. Preliminary data of the downregulation of natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPR-C) in proximal aortic tissue of human patients with CoA serves as the possible underlying mechanism for …
Cross-Species Complementation Reveals Conserved Functions
For Early Flowering 3 Between Monocots And Dicots,
2017
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Cross-Species Complementation Reveals Conserved Functions For Early Flowering 3 Between Monocots And Dicots, He Huang, Malia A. Gehan, Sarah E. Huss, Sohpie Alvarez, Cesar Lizarraga, Ellen L. Gruebbling, John Gierer, Michael J. Naldrett, Rebacca K. Bindbeutel, Bradley S. Evans, Todd C. Mockler, Dmitri A. Nusinow
Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications
Plant responses to the environment are shaped by external stimuli and internal signaling pathways. In both the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) and crop species, circadian clock factors are critical for growth, flowering, and circadian rhythms. Outside of Arabidopsis, however, little is known about the molecular function of clock gene products. Therefore, we sought to compare the function of Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium) and Setaria viridis (Setaria) orthologs of EARLY FLOWERING 3, a key clock gene in Arabidopsis. To identify both cycling genes and putative ELF3 functional orthologs in Setaria, a …
Influence Of Fibroblasts On Functional Arteriogenesis In A Murine Chronic Hindlimb Ischemia Model,
2017
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Influence Of Fibroblasts On Functional Arteriogenesis In A Murine Chronic Hindlimb Ischemia Model, Ashli A. Santos
Biomedical Engineering
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) occurs when there is a narrowing or blockage – usually a buildup of plaque - within the arteries that reduces blood flow to tissues which can chronic ischemia. As with most diseases, early detection and proactive treatment are important to maximize prognosis. Exercise effectively treats PAOD, but due to ischemic pain in the limbs, or intermittent claudication (IC), exercise can become painful and difficult. Due to the buildup of plaque, occlusions create an ischemic environment that changes the pressure distribution in collateral networks and increases the shear stress in transverse collaterals. Those two responses signal …
A Novel High-Throughput, High-Content Three-Dimensional Assay For Determination Of Tumor Invasion And Dormancy,
2017
Purdue University
A Novel High-Throughput, High-Content Three-Dimensional Assay For Determination Of Tumor Invasion And Dormancy, Mahera M. Husain, Theodore J. Puls, Sherry Voytik-Harbin
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Metastasis accounts for most cancer deaths, while dormancy of tumor cells leads to unexpected cancer recurrence. These two aspects of cancer remain relatively untreatable in part because current two-dimensional (2D) methods of high-throughput drug screening cannot quantify outcomes related to these phenotypes. Three-dimensional (3D) in-vitro tumor models are a promising alternative because they better recreate the tumor microenvironment and relevant phenotypes. However, outcome measures for high-throughput screening of these systems are often limited to single measures such as metabolic activity using assays that are not standardized or optimized for 3D models. To address this gap, the objective of this work …
Localized Immunosuppression Therapy For Islet Cell Encapsulation,
2017
Purdue University
Localized Immunosuppression Therapy For Islet Cell Encapsulation, Madeline Mclaughlin, Clarissa Stephens, Sherry Voytik-Harbin
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells necessary for managing a person’s blood glucose levels, affects 1.25 million Americans. A potential treatment for this disease is islet cell transplantation where Islets of Langerhans, containing the beta cells, are transplanted from a normal donor to a diabetic recipient to regulate blood glucose levels and provide insulin independence. Similar to whole organ transplantation, immune modulation through immunosuppression therapy is necessary for successful transplantation of islets without rejection. However, long-term systemic immunosuppression therapy can be toxic to the patient and the islets. Because …
Fret Biosensors: Engineering Fluorescent Proteins As Biological Tools For Studying Parkinson’S Disease,
2017
Purdue University
Fret Biosensors: Engineering Fluorescent Proteins As Biological Tools For Studying Parkinson’S Disease, Nathan J. Leroy, Jacob R. Norley, Saranya Radhakrishnan, Mathew Tantama
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with over 200,000 new cases each year. In general, the cause of the disease is unknown, but oxidative stress inside of neurons has been associated with the disease’s pathology for some time. Currently, techniques to study the onset of PD inside of neurons are limited. This makes treatments and causes difficult to discover. One solution to this has been fluorescent protein biosensors. In short, these proteins can be engineered to glow when a certain state is achieved inside a cell. The present research discusses the engineering of a genetically-encoded fluorescent protein (FP) …
Multi-Color Ultra-High Resolution Imaging,
2017
Purdue University
Multi-Color Ultra-High Resolution Imaging, David A. Miller, Michael Mlodzianoski, Sheng Liu, Fang Huang
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Fluorescence microscopy, which allows multiple-color imaging, plays an important role in observing structures inside cells with high specificity. The advent of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, or nanoscopy techniques such as single-molecule switching nanoscopy (SMSN), has extended the application range of fluorescence microscopy beyond the diffraction limit, achieving up to 10-fold improvement in spatial resolution. At the same time, the recent development of expansion microscopy (ExM) allows samples to be physically expanded by 4-fold in the lateral dimensions providing another independent method to resolve structures beyond the diffraction limit. When combined, ExM-SMSN makes it possible to achieve another significant leap in resolution …
A Spatial Stochastic Model Of Ampar Trafficking And Subunit Dynamics,
2017
Purdue University
A Spatial Stochastic Model Of Ampar Trafficking And Subunit Dynamics, Tyler Vandyk, Matthew C. Pharris, Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
In excitatory neurons, the ability of a synaptic connection to strengthen or weaken is known as synaptic plasticity and is thought to be the cellular basis for learning and memory. Understanding the mechanism of synaptic plasticity is an important step towards understanding and developing treatment methods for learning and memory disorders. A key molecular process in synaptic plasticity for mammalian glutamatergic neurons is the exocytosis (delivery to the synapse) of AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs). While the protein signaling pathways responsible for exocytosis have long been investigated with experimental methods, it remains unreasonable to study the system in its full complexity …
Three-Dimensional Microfluidic Tumor Vascular Model For Investigating Breast Cancer Metastasis,
2017
Miami University - Oxford
Three-Dimensional Microfluidic Tumor Vascular Model For Investigating Breast Cancer Metastasis, Anastasiia Vasiukhina, Brian H. Jun, Luis Solorio, Pavlos P. Vlachos
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Metastasis is one of the primary reasons for the high mortality rates in female patients diagnosed with breast cancer. It involves the migration of cancer cells into the circulatory system allowing for the dissemination of cancer cells in distal tissues. Understanding the major processes that occur in cells and tissues during metastasis can help improve currently existing therapeutic methods. In order to understand such mechanisms, developing physiologically relevant tissue models is crucial. Advancements in microfluidics have led to the fabrication of 3D culture models with shear stress gradients and flow control that can recapitulate aspects of the tumor microenvironment in …
Establishing A Lung Model For Evaluation Of Engineered Lung Microbiome Therapies,
2017
Purdue University
Establishing A Lung Model For Evaluation Of Engineered Lung Microbiome Therapies, Kathryn F. Atherton, Stephen Miloro, Jenna Rickus
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium
Benzene, a toxin and carcinogen found in air polluted by cigarette smoke, car exhaust, and industrial processes, is associated with the development of leukemia and lymphoma. Other than avoiding exposure, there is no current method to deter the effects of benzene. One potential strategy to prevent these effects is to engineer the bacteria of the human lung microbiome to degrade benzene. To evaluate this novel approach, we must verify that the bacteria remain viable within the lung microenvironment. To do so, lungs were harvested from rats and swabbed to determine the contents of the original lung microbiome. Then green fluorescent …
Intravenous Administration Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles In The Chicken Model,
2017
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Intravenous Administration Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles In The Chicken Model, Huong Thi Ngoc Le
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
To be used in health care, the safety and effectiveness of nanoparticles needs to be tested in a living organism. The objective of this project was to develop the chicken as a convenient animal model to examine tissue targeting of intravenously (i.v.)-injected iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles. In Experiment 1, different doses of IO-COOH were i.v. injected into chickens; blood was collected at 0, 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes post-injection; liver, spleen, lung, and kidney were collected after the last blood collection. For Experiment 2, IO-COOH and IO-PEG were i.v. injected into chickens; blood and the organs were collected at …
Isolation And Culture Of Myofiber-Derived Cells From The Extensor Digitorum Longus Muscle,
2017
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Isolation And Culture Of Myofiber-Derived Cells From The Extensor Digitorum Longus Muscle, Ethan M. Tietze
Biomedical Engineering
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) involves distal artery occlusion by atherosclerotic plaques, which restricts blood flow and leads to ischemia in downstream tissues. Increased blood flow through preexisting collateral vessels leads to increased shear stress that triggers an outward remodeling of the vessel called arteriogenesis. In some cases this natural compensatory mechanism is able to sufficiently restore blood flow following arterial occlusion. However, for many individuals this process is insufficient to relieve peripheral ischemia, and patients experience intermittent claudication, or limb pain with locomotion or exercise. Without treatment, reduced blood flow can lead to tissue necrosis and potentially amputation. The …
Development And Characterization Of Tissue Engineered Blood Vessel Mimics Under "Diabetic" Conditions,
2017
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Development And Characterization Of Tissue Engineered Blood Vessel Mimics Under "Diabetic" Conditions, Shelby Gabrielle Kunz
Master's Theses
The development of tissue engineered blood vessel mimics for the testing of intravascular devices in vitro has been established in the Cal Poly tissue engineering lab. Due to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients and minimal accessible studies regarding the interactions between diabetes and intravascular devices used to treat vascular disease, there is a need for the development of diabetic models that more accurately represents diabetic processes occurring in the blood vessels, primarily endothelial dysfunction. This thesis aimed to create a diabetic blood vessel mimic by implementing a high glucose environment for culturing human endothelial cells from healthy …
The Impact Of The Mitochondrial Metabolism Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Upon Differentiation,
2017
Washington University
The Impact Of The Mitochondrial Metabolism Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Upon Differentiation, Stefanie T. Shahan
McKelvey School of Engineering 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 …
A Tunable, Three-Dimensional In Vitro Culture Model Of Growth Plate Cartilage Using Alginate Hydrogel Scaffolds,
2017
University of Nebraska Medical Center
A Tunable, Three-Dimensional In Vitro Culture Model Of Growth Plate Cartilage Using Alginate Hydrogel Scaffolds, Alek G. Erickson, Taylor D. Laughlin, Sarah Romereim, Catherine Sargus-Patino, Angela K. Pannier, Andrew T. Dudley
Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications
Defining the final size and geometry of engineered tissues through precise control of the scalar and vector components of tissue growth is a necessary benchmark for regenerative medicine, but it has proved to be a significant challenge for tissue engineers. The growth plate cartilage that promotes elongation of the long bones is a good model system for studying morphogenetic mechanisms because cartilage is composed of a single cell type, the chondrocyte; chondrocytes are readily maintained in culture; and growth trajectory is predominately in a single vector. In this cartilage, growth is generated via a differentiation program that is spatially and …
Pediatric Leukemia: Diagnosis To Treatment–A Review,
2017
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Pediatric Leukemia: Diagnosis To Treatment–A Review, Samantha C. Bernard, Ehab H. Abdelsamad, Paisley A. Johnson, Daniel L. Chapman, Madhukiran Parvathaneni
Faculty Works
Leukemia is cancer of the blood and bone marrow, it is the most common cancer found in children and is found to be more than one fourth of pediatric cancers. It causes white blood cells to become abnormal and the body to become weak. This deficiency in the immune system reduces the body's ability to fight infection or simple airborne illnesses, causing extensive treatment of common pathogens and cancer treatment. The present review covers all topics, from diagnosis to treatment of pediatric leukemia, as well as the stages of growth and physiological changes throughout the process. As leukemia has a …
Mri Applications In Tissue Engineering,
2017
University of the Pacific
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.
Detection Of Leukocytes Stained With Acridine Orange Using Unique Spectral Features Acquired From An Image-Based Spectrometer,
2017
University of Arkansas
Detection Of Leukocytes Stained With Acridine Orange Using Unique Spectral Features Acquired From An Image-Based Spectrometer, Courtney J. Hunter
Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses
A leukocyte differential count can be used to diagnosis a myriad blood disorders, such as infections, allergies, and efficacy of disease treatments. In recent years, attention has been focused on developing point-of-care (POC) systems to provide this test in global health settings. Acridine orange (AO) is an amphipathic, vital dye that intercalates leukocyte nucleic acids and acidic vesicles. It has been utilized by POC systems to identify the three main leukocyte subtypes: granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes. Subtypes of leukocytes can be characterized using a fluorescence microscope, where the AO has a 450 nm excitation wavelength and has two peak emission …
Development And Evaluation Of A Biocompatible Electroactive Sensor For Continuous Blood Pressure Measurement.,
2017
University of Louisville
Development And Evaluation Of A Biocompatible Electroactive Sensor For Continuous Blood Pressure Measurement., Scott D. Cambron
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Piezo-active composites have been implemented for sensing and transduction for decades. The 0-3 ceramic/polymer composite is one of the most common composite types used for sensing applications, owing to their tailorable properties of the two-phase composition, consisting of a three-dimensionally connected polymer/rubber matrix (inactive phase) with a dispersion of isolated piezo-ceramic particles (active phase). This thesis describes a method to develop novel biocompatible perivascular band comprised of a two-phase piezo-active composite to be fabricated using simple manufacturing processes. Biomaterials such as tissue scaffolds comprised of silk fibroin (SF) and chitosan (CS), and biocompatible soft rubbers will be implemented as the …
