Title: Biomaterials for mechanistic understandings and therapeutic interventions

Presenter: Shyni Varghese

Date: March 9th 2021

Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83703247484?pwd=YmlCVUFpUEMyZFFtUm5Jbk5TYVlTQT09#success

Abstract:

 Regenerative medicine is an interdisciplinary field that has significant promise for treating compromised tissues and organs. In our laboratory, we use a number of bioengineering tools including biomaterials, organoids, quantitative modeling, and animal models to understand how the microenvironment regulates cell fate and to identify new therapeutic targets. In this talk, I will show several examples from our lab illustrating the use of such platforms to address key problems in tissue repair and disease progression. First, I will discuss our efforts in creating synthetic analogs of the extracellular matrix to direct stem cell commitment in vitro and in vivo and employing such platforms to understand molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate and identifying new therapeutic targets (Shih et al., PNAS 111: 990, 2014; 114: 5419 2017; Kang H et al., Biomacromolecules 16: 1050, 2015; Shih et al., Sci. Adv. 5: eaax1387, 2019). Next, I will discuss how these understandings can be leveraged to develop therapeutic interventions to promote tissue repair and mitigate pain (Zeng et al., Adv. Mater. 32, 2020). Finally, I will briefly discuss our efforts in creating materials with “living” functions such as self-healing along with their applications in soft robotics and tissue repair (Phadke at al., PNAS, 109: 4383, 2012, Kumar et al., BioRxiv/2020/067033).