Modern knee and hip replacement procedures rely on a number of advanced materials, as well as the effectiveness of the bond between the joint appliance and the patient’s bone that the artificial joint must bond with.
In podcast #6, we’ll hear from Dr. Andrés García. Dr. Garcia’s research centers on cellular and tissue engineering and his research addresses areas which integrate engineering and biological principles to restore and enhance function to injured or diseased organs. Specifically, his research focuses on fundamental structure-function relationships that govern cell-biomaterials interactions for bone and muscle applications.
In another project, the Garcia lab is developing surfaces that are engineered to control the distribution and biological activity of extracellular matrix proteins in order to elicit specific and directed cellular responses. For instance, fibronectin adsorption onto different surfaces results in conformational changes which lead to differences in cell receptor binding and signaling and modulate switching between muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. This principle can then be applied to the development of synthetic and natural scaffolds for enhanced tissue reconstruction and regeneration. For more information, please visit Dr. Garcia’s web site.
Leah Kauffman also visits with Tiffany Sellaro and learns about TERMIS-SYIS, a student group that aims to serve as a common platform to generate interest and promote interaction among undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral researchers and young investigators in industry and academia related to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. TERMIS-SYIS will closely follow the organizational and the working pattern of TERMIS and will be formally launched in April 2006 at the Regenerate World Congress in Pittsburgh (April 2006).
Hosts Leah Kauffman and John Murphy. Interview by Leah Kauffman.
For more information about the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, visit:
McGowan Institute Research Site
McGowan Institute Patient Site
McGowan Institute on Facebook
