Stephen Badylak, DVM, Ph.D, M.D., Research Professor
Dr. Badylak received his DVM from Purdue University in 1976. Subsequently, he received a master's degree in clinical pathology in 1978 and a Ph.D. in anatomic pathology in 1981, both from Purdue University. Dr. Badylak then obtained his M.D. with highest honors from Indiana University Medical School in 1985. From 1985-2002, Dr. Badylak held a variety of positions within the Hillenbrand Biomedical Engineering Center at Purdue University, eventually becoming the director of the Center in 1995. He joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 2002 and presently serves as the Deputy Director of McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Badylak holds over 40 U.S. Patents, and has authored more than 160 scientific publications and 8 book chapters. He serves on the advisory boards of several tissue engineering companies and has served on numerous study sections for the National Institutes of Health including serving as Chair of the Bioengineering, Technology, and Surgical Science Section from 2002-2006. Dr. Badylak is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and is the North American delegate to the Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS). Dr. Badylak holds an adjunct professorship at the Wake Forest School of Medicine and at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. He is Associate Editor for Tissue Engineering for the journal Cells, Tissues and Organs. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Clemson Award from the Society for Biomaterials in 2005.

SYNOPSIS OF AREA OF INTEREST: Our laboratory has focused on the use of mammalian extracellular matrix as an inductive biologic scaffold for tissue and organ reconstruction. The methods by which extracellular matrix scaffolds are prepared from mammalian tissues, the mechanisms by which such scaffolds interact with mammalian hosts following in vivo implantation, and the translation of this technology to human clinical applications are specific areas of interest.

DETAILED AREA OF INTEREST: The extracellular matrix is composed of a complex mixture of both structural and functional molecules. These molecules are arranged in a unique three dimensional ultra structure for each tissue and organ. Upon decellularization methods that maintain the integrity of the extracellular matrix, such scaffolds can be used to promote the constructive remodeling of numerous tissues. This technology has now been translated into human clinical use and more than 700,000 human patients have been treated for the reconstruction of skin, musculotendinous, lower urinary tract, and gastrointestinal structures. The mechanisms by which these ECM scaffolds function include the promotion of angiogenesis, the recruitment of bone marrow derived progenitor cells to the sites of remodeling, and the minimization of scar tissue formation. It is also clear that micro-environmental factors such as oxygen tension, pH, and mechanical forces influence the rate of tissue remodeling and the spatial organization of remodeling tissue structures.

The development of strategies and methods for promoting the constructive remodeling of tissues and organs, utilizing the information obtained by examining the source of cells and mechanism of cell recruitment, is the objective of the studies being conducted in our laboratories.

PUBLICATIONS:

Badylak, S.F., Vorp, D.A., Spievack, A.S., Simmons-Byrd, A., Hanke, J., Freytes, D.O., Thapa, A., Gilbert, T.W., Nieponice, A. Esophageal Reconstruction with ECM and Muscle Tissue in a Dog Model, 2005. J Surg Res 128:87-97.

Kochupura, P.V., Azeloglu,E.U., Kelly, D.J., Doronin, S.V., Badylak, S.F., Krukenkamp, I.B., Cohen, I.S., Gaudette G.A. A Tissue Engineered Myocardial Patch Derived from Extracellular Matrix Provides Regional Mechanical Function. Circulation 2005. 112 (suppl. I): I144 - I149.

Valentin, J.E., Badylak, J.S., McCabe, G. P., Badylak, S.F. Extracellular Matrix bioscaffolds for Orthopaedic Applications: A Comparative Histologic Study. JBJS. (in press).

Badylak, S.F. Regenerative Medicine and Developmental Biology: The Role of the Extracellular Matrix. New Anat, 2005. 287(1): 36-41.

Brennan, E. P., Reing, J., Chew, D., Myers-Irvin, J. M., Young, E. J., Badylak, S. F. Antibacterial Activity within Degradation Products of Biologic Scaffolds Composed of Extracellular Matrix. Tissue Engineering, 2006. 12 (10) 2949-2955.

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