Precision Bioprocess Engineering for Regenerative Medicine

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Regenerative medicine is a rapidly growing billion-dollar multidisciplinary field at the intersection of medicine, engineering and science. It aims to create living, functional tissues that can repair or replace damaged, diseased or aging tissues or organs. Stem cells are critical to the success of regenerative medicine therapies. What are needed are technologies to bridge the gap between basic biology and the clinical application of stem cells. One of the major stumbling blocks on the road to effective use of stem cells is the limited number of available donor cells, and the small-scale, labour-intensive methods for culturing and differentiating them. The overall goals of the proposed stem cell bioengineering research program are to develop bioreactor technologies, biomaterials and mathematical models, which will address major technology bottlenecks currently limiting the translation of stem cell discovery into improved health for Canadians. Specifically, this Discovery Grant will research the development of robust bioprocesses to generate sufficient numbers of stem cells and their differentiated progeny for multiple applications. Specific outcomes include: 1) Quantitative stem cell bioprocess computer models, resulting in better predictions of bioreactor performance (essential for bioprocess reproducibility). 2) New microcarrier and tissue engineered material designs (essential for effective growth and differentiation. 3) New technologies for high-throughput stem cell bioprocess design (essential for accelerated discovery). The long-term outcomes include innovative bioprocess designs, as well as critical knowledge of how output cell product parameters (i.e. cell type, behaviour) are influenced by cell processing parameters (i.e. bioreactor oxygen level). This is a critical next step to personalized treatments for conditions such as burns, fractures, and other ailments, and represents an opportunity for Canada to be a leader in biomanufacturing for the regenerative medicine industry.