Research
underlined text links to first or co-authored publications in this space
Patterning tissues with remote fields
Remote fields are non-contact means of manipulating the position of an object, whether that object be living (i.e., a cell), or non-living (i.e., a growth factor). These fields commonly include magnetic fields, acoustic fields, gravity, etc. and can be applied in vivo to position objects for tissue patterning.
Looking forward: living joint replacements
The most common procedure for end-stage joint disease is a joint replacement with metal and plastic. These joint replacements are common in the knee, hip, and ankle. Looking forward, progress is being made to convert these synthetic joints to biologic alternatives using a patients own cells. Advanced manufacturing methods can produce anatomic molds and multi-material implants to recreate the complex structure, topology, and biology of a living joint.
Translational cartilage and bone repair
Large animal models allow researchers to test the lifespan and integration of a biomaterial implant in a load-bearing environment. This is particularly useful when assessing the safety and efficacy of cartilage repair scaffolds. Sometimes, in these animal models (and in humans), bony abnormalities are observed in conjunction with cartilage lesions and subsequent cartilage repair. In an effort to reduce harm to the underlying bony foundation, a smaller diameter, deeper needle-puncture device was found superior to subchondral drilling and microfracture for cartilage repair.
Advancing methods for large mineralized cryohistology
Tape-stablized cryohistology methods have been adopted and widely used by the small animal research community. This technique allows for mineralized tissue samples to be sectioned without decalcification. This is advantageous if the animals were injected with bone fluorochrome labels prior to euthanasia, whereas these labels would disappear if the samples were decalcified. Additionally, tape-stabilized cryohistology permits sequential staining and imaging of a single tissue slice, enabling high-throughput data collection. Recently, this powerful histological technique was adapted to benefit the large animal research community, showing that mineralized femur, vertebral body, and jaw samples could be sectioned and stained.
Non-invasively quantifying tissue composition
Traditionally, destructive measures must be used to quantify the amount of collagen or proteoglycans within a tissue. However, non-invasive imaging modalities such as FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), and Raman spectroscopy allow a tissue to be scanned in its native, intact state. Interestingly, FTIR can be used to track the amount of hemoglobin (blood) in a microfracture-treated cartilage defect post-surgery. This means that non-invasive imaging can be used to track neo-tissue maturation.