CELL AND TISSUE PHYSIOLOGYY

Every engineered tissue and organ must be assessed for adequate functionality. Confirmation of cellular function prior to and after cell placement on scaffolds is necessary to ensure successful tissue formation in vivo. The Cell and Tissue Physiology Program, headed by George Christ, Ph.D., brings to the Institute years of experience and expertise in assessing cell and tissue function in a physiological environment.

For example, engineered blood vessels, with a major smooth-muscle component, must demonstrate the ability to contract and relax just as native vessels do. They must respond appropriately to changes in blood pressure and alterations in other variables that affect circulation, such as hormones, inflammatory agents, and neuromodulators. Cardiac, smooth and skeletal muscles are all able to contract and relax, but each behaves and responds differently in the body. To engineer muscle tissues that function normally in the target site, it is essential that the normal functional characteristics of each be determined prior to use in a clinical setting.


"What is normal seems like a simple question, but it isn't," said Dr. Christ. "When you study something outside the body you step out of real time into a controlled environment. We have always compared health to disease. Now, when we consider regenerative medicine, we ask: How can we engineer a healthy tissue?"

Knowledge of cell development, gene regulation, and the impact of growth factors is the key to the success of the Cell and Tissue Physiology Program, states Dr. Weixin Zhao, a member of the faculty team.

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