Novel Transitional Engineered Liver Models Using Detachable Polyelectrolyte Multilayers

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Non-Technical:This award supported by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, is co-funded by the BME program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET). Liver fibrosis is a leading cause of death in the USA. Alcohol abuse, obesity, diabetes or viral infections are some initiating events that induce fibrosis. Each of these events causes severe liver inflammation, thereby altering signaling pathways leading to the initiation and progression of fibrosis. This project will use a fundamental science focused biomaterials approach to generate novel insights into the cellular and signaling mechanisms that underlie the progression of fibrosis. This project includes a K-12 outreach program. Through a one-week summer camp, the project will provide opportunities to high-school students to understand how biological membranes affect the properties of liver cells. The one-week camp will include experimental and analytical activities. The overall goal is to encourage high-school students to consider future education and careers in STEM fieldsTechnical:Liver fibrosis is a leading cause of death worldwide. Some other extremely harmful conditions that result due to liver fibrosis are hepatic carcinomas, renal failure, toxin-induced comas, bleeding, and a host of metabolic disorders. This project will study the initiation and progression of liver fibrosis from a fundamental science focused biomaterials perspective. This project seeks to design engineered transitional tissues. The investigators will develop a transitional liver tissue containing a polymeric membrane that exhibits a gradient in both mechanical and chemical properties. They will seek to determine to what extent must chemical and mechanical profiles vary in the liver in order to sustain hepatic fibrosis and to understand how the major hepatic cells respond to stiffer matrices and varying chemical concentrations.