PECASE: A Systematic Approach in Determining Material Surface Properties that Promote Stem Cell Differentiation

New Jersey Institute Of Technology, Newark NJ

Investigators

Abstract

Proposal Title: PECASE: A Systematic Approach in Determining Material Surface Properties that Promote Stem Cell Differentiation Institution: Foundation @ NJIT, New Jersey Institute of Technology This proposal details an integrated research and educational plan centered on the development of a tissue engineering and biomaterials program in the department of Biomedical Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology. The research component investigates a systematic approach in evaluating biomaterials as potential scaffolds for cell based therapies and integrating these concepts in new undergraduate and graduate courses in biomaterials and biocompatibility and principles of tissue engineering, respectively. The goal is to also develop a program that will have an impact on increasing the number of underrepresented groups in the field of engineering and science by introducing concepts to high school students from underrepresented minority groups and training high school teachers of all girl schools interactive approaches to teaching engineering to their students. The emerging technology of tissue engineering has the potential of becoming the therapy of choice for the regeneration of a number of damaged or diseased tissues and organs. The approach is to use cells, instead of drugs, to treat various diseases or disorders. At the forefront of investigation is the use of stem cells because of their ability to differentiate into various cell types and thus, promote the regeneration of the damaged or diseased tissue of interest. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotential cells that are capable of differentiating along several lineage pathways. MSCs, which are obtained from adult bone marrow and expanded in culture, are believed to be valuable as a readily available and abundant source of cells in the tissue engineering field. However, for treating damaged or diseased connective tissues, such as large bone fracture, osteoarthritis, tendon and ligament injuries, and spinal cord injury, MSCs must be combined with an appropriate scaffold material that promotes attachment and differentiation. For this technology to advance into clinical application, the development of improved scaffold materials is needed. The goal of this research program is to investigate in a systematic fashion the optimal surface properties and characteristics of materials that promote stem cell differentiation. The principal investigator and others have demonstrated that MSCs, when combined with bioactive ceramic scaffolds induce bone formation in large, long bone defects. However, complete repair and return of mechanical function of the long bone is limited due to the brittle nature and/or poor remodeling of the ceramic material. Other synthetic and natural biomaterials with improved mechanical and degradation properties have been investigated in in vitro experiments as potential scaffolds for the MSCs, but once implanted, MSCs fail to induce bone repair. Therefore, the objectives of the proposed research are two-fold. First, this study is designed to gain a clearer understanding of the mechanism by which calcium phosphate ceramics promote MSC differentiation and synthesis of new bone tissue by examining the effect of surface properties (e.g. chemistry and topography) and ion dissolution/reactions in influencing how stem cells adhere, the morphology they assume, and subsequent differentiation. These fundamental studies will further advance the development of improved materials for stem cell induced bone regeneration. Second, as an extension of this work, a novel study examining polymeric materials that have well defined surface properties and/or architectures that modulate stem cell morphology will be investigated. As a function of cell shape, stem cell differentiation into cell phenotypes of bone, cartilage, and adipose tissue will be examined. This project was originally funded as a CAREER award, and was converted to a Presidential Early Career Award for Engineers and Scientists (PECASE) award in September 2004.