Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Combined 3d Bioprinting And Tissue-Specific Ecm System Reveals The Influence Of Brain Matrix On Stem Cell Differentiation, Martina Zamponi, Peter A. Mollica, Yara Khodour, Julie S. Bjerring, Robert D. Bruno, Patrick C. Sachs

Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

We have previously shown that human and murine breast extracellular matrix (ECM) can significantly impact cellular behavior, including stem cell fate determination. It has been established that tissue-specific extracellular matrix from the central nervous system has the capacity to support neuronal survival. However, the characterization of its influence on stem cell differentiation and its adaptation to robust 3D culture models is underdeveloped. To address these issues, we combined our 3D bioprinter with hydrogels containing porcine brain extracellular matrix (BMX) to test the influence of the extracellular matrix on stem cell differentiation. Our 3D bioprinting system generated reproducible 3D neural structures …

Planning System For The Optimization Of Electric Field Delivery Using Implanted Electrodes For Brain Tumor Control, Erin Iredale, Brynn Voigt, Adam Rankin, Kyungho W Kim, Jeff Z Chen, Susanne Schmid, Matthew O Hebb, Terry M Peters, Eugene Wong

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

BACKGROUND: The use of non-ionizing electric fields from low-intensity voltage sources (< 10 V) to control malignant tumor growth is showing increasing potential as a cancer treatment modality. A method of applying these low-intensity electric fields using multiple implanted electrodes within or adjacent to tumor volumes has been termed as intratumoral modulation therapy (IMT).

PURPOSE: This study explores advancements in the previously established IMT optimization algorithm, and the development of a custom treatment planning system for patient-specific IMT. The practicality of the treatment planning system is demonstrated by implementing the full optimization pipeline on a brain phantom with robotic electrode implantation, postoperative imaging, and treatment stimulation.

METHODS: The integrated planning pipeline in 3D Slicer begins with importing and segmenting patient magnetic resonance images (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) images. The segmentation process is manual, followed by a semi-automatic smoothing step that allows …

Open Neuroscience Initiative, Austin Lim

College of Science and Health Full Text Publications

The Open Neuroscience Initiative is a free-to-use textbook

This project began as a means to overcoming the financial burden that face undergraduate neuroscience students when buying textbooks. By compiling and writing a completely free-to-access textbook that covers the foundations of a typical college introduction to neuroscience course, students would have one less obstacle to overcome in their educational career, allowing them to focus their valuable time and attention on learning rather than finances. To make this project a reality, I began with a humble tweet in May 2019 that managed to gain a tiny bit of traction among the neuroscience …

The Effect Of Hypoxia On Brain Cell Proliferation In Weakly Electric Fish, Petrocephalus Degeni, Kaitlin Klovdahl

Senior Theses and Projects

Oxygen levels tend to remain at a steady state concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere, yet in some bodies of water, they can fluctuate and decrease drastically. Many organisms that inhabit the swamps, lakes, streams, and parts of the ocean where this occurs have evolved adaptations to manage this environmental uncertainty and continue normal oxygen consumption. The Lwamunda swamp in Uganda is chronically hypoxic, yet it is home to many species, including the electric fish Petrocephalus degeni. P. degeni are unusual by nature of their immense brain, and the Lwamunda swamp appears ill-suited for maintaining this large, metabolically active organ. To …

Generation Of Organ-Conditioned Media And Applications For Studying Organ-Specific Influences On Breast Cancer Metastatic Behavior, Matthew M. Piaseczny, Graciella M. Pio, Jenny E. Chu, Ying Xia, Kim Nguyen, David Goodale, Alison Allan

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Breast cancer preferentially metastasizes to the lymph node, bone, lung, brain and liver in breast cancer patients. Previous research efforts have focused on identifying factors inherent to breast cancer cells that are responsible for this observed metastatic pattern (termed organ tropism), however much less is known about factors present within specific organs that contribute to this process. This is in part because of a lack of in vitro model systems that accurately recapitulate the organ microenvironment. To address this, an ex vivo model system has been established that allows for the study of soluble factors present within different organ microenvironments. …