Specific Research Areas

Orthopedic Soft and Hard Tissue Integration

The efficient integration of biomaterials with host tissue is essential to successful orthopedic tissue repair and regeneration. Currently, the long term outcome of total joint replacement is determined by the degree of implant loosening and of tissue in-growth. Implant failure typically occurs due to the lack of osseous integration. Providing a mechanically functional interface between the implant and bone tissue, and between bone and soft tissue will significantly improve the long-term stablility of the implant. Our primary research focus is on the regeneration of a continuous interface between bone and soft tissue (cartilage and ligament), the design of integrative grafting systems capable of bonding to biological tissue. This is approached from cellular, biomaterial and tissue perspectives with the eventual goal of simultaneously engineering a functional, multi-type tissue. Two on-going projects in the laboratory are

I. An osteochondral graft for cartilage tissue engineering

(in collaboration with Profs. Hung, Ateshian and Guo of DBME)

II. Re-engineering the Interface between bone and ligament to improve graft integration

Age-Related Effects in Ligament Tissue Engineering

As the general population is living longer and more active lives, age-related effect in the ex vivo engineering of tissues must be explored. Tissue engineered grafts combining autogenous cells with a biomaterial scaffold have significant potential as grafting systems for repair, as they exhibit many of the advantages of autografts without the associated limitations. To successfully engineer functional tissue in vivo, a fundamental understanding of cellular characteristics as a function of patient age and cellular senescence in vitro must first be achieved. There is currently little knowledge relating donor age to the response of differentiated or progenitor cells to biomaterials. Current studies are exploring the relationship between primary cell age/senescence and cellular response to biomaterials surfaces and physical stimuli.

Development of Novel, Composite Biomaterials and Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications

We are in the process of optimizing a three-dimensional, composite scaffold of degradable polymers and bioactive glass, with the end goal of matching scaffold mechanical properties with biodegradability and bioactivity. Current studies in the laboratory are examining the effects of material properties, culturing parameters, and physical stimuli on the phenotype and genotype of connective tissue cells grown on composite tissue engineering scaffolds.