CAREER: Development of Multifunctional Tissue Scaffolds Comprising Natural Collagen and Collagen Mimetic Peptides

该职业奖由约翰霍普金斯大学材料研究部生物材料项目颁发，旨在探索新的胶原蛋白修饰技术，并开发用于控制微血管形成和人工角膜制造的空间功能化胶原蛋白支架。这种修饰技术是基于胶原蛋白的天然能力结合成三螺旋分子结构，类似于DNA链的入侵和交换。使用合成胶原模拟肽（CMP）作为胶原特异性“搭车者”，Michael Yu博士将在支架内的指定位置合成具有外源性生物活性成分（生长因子、细胞粘附肽和抗菌肽）的3D胶原基组织支架，并研究其对受控组织生成的有效性。该项目的具体目标是：a)设计具有增强胶原结合特性的胶原模拟肽类似物，并对cmp -胶原相互作用进行基础研究；b)研究CMPs在制造生物活性可控的胶原表面和凝胶中的应用；c)测试其作为有序微血管和功能性人工角膜组织支架的性能。除了组织工程应用外，该修饰技术还可能导致病理性瘢痕组织和其他异常细胞外基质相关疾病的检测和治疗的技术创新。PI将与巴尔的摩盲人杰尼根研究所全国联合会合作，为盲人高中生开发生物材料实验室课程，作为盲人青年STEM学院的一部分。这项外展计划的目标是：a)通过实践项目让盲青年接触STEM，有力地证明他们可以在这些领域发挥重要作用；b)鼓励研究生从事研究项目、技术开发和教育活动，以解决残疾人充分融入STEM职业的问题；c)教育家长、老师和公众，STEM领域对盲童开放。在约翰霍普金斯大学社区内，该项目将开发创新的材料生物学课程，以培养能够跨越传统材料和生物学学科的新型材料研究人员。

This Career award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to Johns Hopkins University is to explore new collagen modification technique and develop spatially functionalized collagen scaffolds for controlled microvasculature formation and artificial cornea fabrication. The modification technique is based on collagen's native ability to associate into triple-helical molecular architecture similar to DNA strand invasion and exchange. Using synthetic collagen mimetic peptide (CMP) as a collagen-specific "hitch-hiker," Dr. Michael Yu will synthesize 3D collagen-based tissue scaffolds with exogenous bioactive components (growth factors, cell adhesion peptides, and antimicrobial peptides) in defined locations within the scaffolds and investigate their effectiveness for controlled tissue generation. Specific goals of the project are: a) design of collagen mimetic peptide analogues with enhanced collagen binding properties and perform fundamental study of CMP-collagen interactions; b) investigation in the use of CMPs in fabricating collagen surfaces and gels with controlled bioactivity; and c) testing the performance as tissue scaffolds for ordered microvasculature and functional artificial cornea. In addition to tissue engineering application, the modification technique may also lead to technological innovation in detection and treatment of diseases related to pathologic scar tissue and other abnormal extra cellular matrices.In collaboration with National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, based in Baltimore, the PI will develop a biomaterials laboratory session for blind high school students as part of the Blind Youth STEM Academy. Goals of this outreach program are: a) expose blind youth to STEM through hands-on programs that powerfully demonstrate that they can play a major role in such fields; b) stimulate graduate students to pursue research projects, technology development and educational activities that address problems of full inclusion of persons with disabilities in STEM careers; and c) educate parents, teachers, and general public that STEM fields are open to blind youth. Within the Johns Hopkins community, the project will develop innovative materials biology curriculum to create new breed of material researchers who can work across traditional materials and biology disciplines.