International Fellow Awards: International Research Fellow Award: Engineered Polymeric Biomaterials for Modulating Cell Adhesion and Remodeling After Balloon Angioplasty

Seliktar, Dror, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

0076211 Seliktar The International Research Fellow Awards Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award will provide Dr. Dror Seliktar with support for 24 months to work with Professor Jeffrey A. Hubbell at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and the University of Zurich in Switzerland. This project will focus on the development and in vitro testing of specialized synthetic hydrogels that are used to regulate the injury response after balloon angioplasty. Hydrogel biomaterials will be developed with functional components (polypeptides) designed to promote both endothelial cell adhesion and endothelial cell-mediated enzyme (MMP-2) activation, while exhibiting susceptibility to the activated MMP-2 enzyme. Testing the functional characteristics will be done in vitro using a set of carefully designed cell culture experiments. The host, Professor Hubbell has a large, active group at one of the strongest research centers in the world in this area of research.