Postdoctoral Training in Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, and Combat Casualty Care DOD ARM-V Fellowship
PTEI Receives DOD Funding for Postdoctoral Regenerative Medicine Research Positions
The ARM program has investigated cell-based immunotherapy to reduce the risks associated with transplantation of limbs, the use of inductive scaffolds to induce scar-free healing of major muscle injury, and the use of wearable bioreactors to induce scar-free healing of burn injuries. The current ARM program continues these central themes and expands a high-impact program that extends to nerve regeneration, cranial-facial reconstruction, and hand transplant and expects these areas to become major focal points for future development. The Department of Defense, in support of its ARM-V Postdoctoral Program, will enable the hiring of 3 postdocs who will participate in the following projects:
Project Title: Toward 3D Synthetic Vascular Networks through Mutable Responsive Polymers and Micromachining
Post-Doctoral Candidate: Mary Beth Wilson, PhD student in Biomedical Engineering (finishing 2nd year of PhD program with 2 years prior to this in a DMD/PhD program), Carnegie Mellon University
Mentor 1: Philip LeDuc, PhD, professor, Mechanical Engineering, Computational Biology, Biomedical Engineering, and Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
Mentor 2: Yadong Wang, PhD, associate professor, Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh
Objective: Our objective is to engineer 3D vascularized tissue modules in which functional capillaries are completely surrounded by parenchymal cells in 3D. Building on the wound-cap and porous hollow fiber technologies for promoting neo-vascularization during wound healing, this work focuses on achieving tissue vascularization by directly engineering 3D synthetic vascular networks through a unique approach using mutable polymer systems and micromachining. Because wounds above a critical size require bulk tissue replacement in order to achieve full functional restoration, we propose to use our novel approach for engineering 3D synthetic vascular networks towards creating complex 3D vascularized tissues. We believe this work has the potential to provide the key advances direly needed to produce efficiently vascularized artificial tissues in clinically-relevant (large) scales, which would advance the state-of-the-art of artificial 3D vascular network and tissue engineering. Our results could ultimately impact the care of millions of both military and civilian patients in need of complex tissue or organ replacement, resulting from traumatic injury and organ failure.
Project Title: Long-term Acceptance of Allografts Induced by Thymic Cell Transplant in the Lymph Node
Post-Doctoral Candidate: Lindsey Boone, PhD
Mentor: Eric Lagasse, PharmD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Pathology, and director of the Cancer Stem Cell Center at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Objective: The objective of the proposed study is to provide a novel approach to inducing long-term immunological tolerance in transplant recipients using a nonlymphoablative irradiation-free protocol. We will perform allogeneic thymic cell transplant into the lymph nodes of mice as a means of conditioning the recipient for future allogeneic skin and liver transplant. Our hypothesis is that by conditioning transplant recipients with thymic cells immune-matched to the donor, we will be able to induce long-term tolerance of the allograft. Cellular therapy provides an innovative tool that can be utilized in patient care.
Project Title: Regenerative Medicine Approach for Digit Reconstruction
Post-Doctoral Candidate: Elizabeth Whitewell Kollar, DVM
Mentor: Stephen F. Badylak, DVM, PhD, MD, deputy director, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, professor, Department of Surgery, and director of the Center for Pre-Clinical Tissue Engineering within the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Objective: The objective of the study is to induce a regenerative healing response in a mammalian model of digit amputation. This response, referred to as “non-blastemal epimorphic regeneration” should result in the formation of functional tissue at the site of digit amputation.
The ARM program has investigated cell-based immunotherapy to reduce the risks associated with transplantation of limbs, the use of inductive scaffolds to induce scar-free healing of major muscle injury, and the use of wearable bioreactors to induce scar-free healing of burn injuries. The current ARM program continues these central themes and expands a high-impact program that extends to nerve regeneration, cranial-facial reconstruction, and hand transplant and expects these areas to become major focal points for future development. The Department of Defense, in support of its ARM-V Postdoctoral Program, will enable the hiring of 3 postdocs who will participate in the following projects:
Project Title: Toward 3D Synthetic Vascular Networks through Mutable Responsive Polymers and Micromachining
Post-Doctoral Candidate: Mary Beth Wilson, PhD student in Biomedical Engineering (finishing 2nd year of PhD program with 2 years prior to this in a DMD/PhD program), Carnegie Mellon University
Mentor 1: Philip LeDuc, PhD, professor, Mechanical Engineering, Computational Biology, Biomedical Engineering, and Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
Mentor 2: Yadong Wang, PhD, associate professor, Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh
Objective: Our objective is to engineer 3D vascularized tissue modules in which functional capillaries are completely surrounded by parenchymal cells in 3D. Building on the wound-cap and porous hollow fiber technologies for promoting neo-vascularization during wound healing, this work focuses on achieving tissue vascularization by directly engineering 3D synthetic vascular networks through a unique approach using mutable polymer systems and micromachining. Because wounds above a critical size require bulk tissue replacement in order to achieve full functional restoration, we propose to use our novel approach for engineering 3D synthetic vascular networks towards creating complex 3D vascularized tissues. We believe this work has the potential to provide the key advances direly needed to produce efficiently vascularized artificial tissues in clinically-relevant (large) scales, which would advance the state-of-the-art of artificial 3D vascular network and tissue engineering. Our results could ultimately impact the care of millions of both military and civilian patients in need of complex tissue or organ replacement, resulting from traumatic injury and organ failure.
Project Title: Long-term Acceptance of Allografts Induced by Thymic Cell Transplant in the Lymph Node
Post-Doctoral Candidate: Lindsey Boone, PhD
Mentor: Eric Lagasse, PharmD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Pathology, and director of the Cancer Stem Cell Center at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Objective: The objective of the proposed study is to provide a novel approach to inducing long-term immunological tolerance in transplant recipients using a nonlymphoablative irradiation-free protocol. We will perform allogeneic thymic cell transplant into the lymph nodes of mice as a means of conditioning the recipient for future allogeneic skin and liver transplant. Our hypothesis is that by conditioning transplant recipients with thymic cells immune-matched to the donor, we will be able to induce long-term tolerance of the allograft. Cellular therapy provides an innovative tool that can be utilized in patient care.
Project Title: Regenerative Medicine Approach for Digit Reconstruction
Post-Doctoral Candidate: Elizabeth Whitewell Kollar, DVM
Mentor: Stephen F. Badylak, DVM, PhD, MD, deputy director, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, professor, Department of Surgery, and director of the Center for Pre-Clinical Tissue Engineering within the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Objective: The objective of the study is to induce a regenerative healing response in a mammalian model of digit amputation. This response, referred to as “non-blastemal epimorphic regeneration” should result in the formation of functional tissue at the site of digit amputation.