Phenotypic Modulation of Smooth Muscle Cells on Biodegradable Elastomeric Substrates

该奖项由田纳西大学诺克斯维尔材料研究部生物材料项目授予，旨在设计、合成、改性和制造基于具有多个侧链的聚（己内酯丙烯酸酯）的可生物降解和光致变色弹性体聚合物。这些改性和功能化的聚合物可能会发现潜在的应用作为支架来控制平滑肌细胞的生长和分化。聚（己内酯丙烯酸酯）的表面将通过掺入不同长度和组成的可光聚合的亲水性聚乙二醇和聚（L-赖氨酸）进行改性。这些具有特殊表面特征的改性聚合物将用于制造预先设计的2D和3D基底和支架，随后将评估具有调制表型和其他行为的组织生长。这些聚合物支架的固有材料特性将被校准以调节和控制细胞生长和分化。通过整合聚合物材料的合理合成策略和微加工方法，研究人员将量化，区分和关联细胞-材料相互作用，以准确了解这些聚合物支架和细胞如何作为一个系统一起工作。该项目在科学上的更广泛影响是发展对使用聚合物支架控制平滑肌细胞表型的理解，以及这些修饰细胞在心血管组织修复和再生中的潜在应用。研究人员计划为研究生和本科生开发生物材料，聚合物表面科学和生物材料以及生物材料制造和加工的研讨会和课程。为本科生提供暑期研究经验;招聘和指导来自少数民族和代表性不足的群体的学生;通过推广计划向K-12学生传播发现;为高中教师和学生开发实验室/课程模块;和远程教育是该项目计划的其他一些推广活动。该项目是设计，综合，改性和制造具有不同长度和组成的多个侧链的可生物降解和光致伸缩弹性体聚合物，用于这些聚合物作为支架的潜在应用，以控制平滑肌细胞的生长和分化。这些具有特殊表面特征的改性聚合物将被制造成预先设计的2D和3D结构，随后将作为组织支架进行评估，以调节表型和其他细胞行为。这些聚合物支架的固有材料性质将被修饰以控制和调节细胞的生长和分化。具有受控表型的平滑肌细胞可能在心血管组织的修复和再生中找到应用。通过这个项目，研究人员计划开发生物材料，聚合物表面科学和生物材料以及生物材料制造和加工的研讨会和课程。此外，该研究项目将与以下培训和推广活动相结合：1）本科生的夏季研究经验; 2）招募和指导少数民族和代表性不足的群体的学生; 3）通过推广计划向K-12学生传播发现;和4）为高中教师和学生开发实验室/课程模块。

This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to University of Tennessee at Knoxville is to design, synthesize, modify and fabricate biodegradable and photo-linkable elastomeric polymers based on poly (caprolactone acrylates) with multiple side chains. These modified and functionalized polymers may find potential application as scaffolds to control the growth and differentiation of smooth muscle cells. The surfaces of the poly (caprolactone acrylates) will be modified by incorporating photo-polymerizable hydrophilic polyethylene glycol and poly (L-lysine) at varied length and compositions. These modified polymers with special surface features will be used to fabricate into pre-designed 2D and 3D substrates and scaffolds, and later will be evaluated for tissue growth with modulated phenotype and other behaviors. Intrinsic material properties of these polymeric scaffolds will be calibrated to modulate and control the cell growth and differentiation. By integrating rational synthesis strategies and microfabrication methods of polymeric materials, the researcher will quantify, differentiate, and correlate the cell-material interactions to obtain precise understanding on how these polymer scaffolds and the cells work together as one system. The scientific broader impact of the project is in developing an understanding in the use of polymeric scaffolds for the control the phenotype of smooth muscle cells, and potential applications of these modified cells in the repair and regeneration of cardiovascular tissues. The researcher is planning to develop workshops and courses in Biomaterials, and Surface Science of Polymers and Biomaterials and Biomaterials Fabrication and Processing for graduate and undergraduate students. Providing summer research experience for undergraduate students; recruitment and mentoring of students from minority and underrepresented groups; dissemination of discoveries to K-12 students through outreach program; developing lab/course modules for high-school teachers and students; and distance education are some of the other outreach activities planned in this project.This project is to design, synthesize, modify and fabricate biodegradable and photo-linkable elastomeric polymers with multiple side chains of different length and composition for potential application of these polymers as scaffolds to control the growth and differentiation of smooth muscle cells. These modified polymers with special surface features will be fabricated into pre-designed 2D and 3D structures and later will be evaluated as tissue scaffolds to modulate the phenotype and other cell behavior. Intrinsic material properties of these polymeric scaffolds will modified to control and modulate the cell growth and differentiation. Smooth muscle cells with controlled phenotype may find applications in the repair and regeneration of cardiovascular tissues. With this project, the researcher plans to develop workshops and courses in Biomaterials, and Surface Science of Polymers and Biomaterials and Biomaterials Fabrication and Processing. Additionally, this research project will be integrated with the following training and outreach activities: 1) summer research experience for undergraduate students; 2) recruitment and mentoring of students from minority and underrepresented groups; 3) dissemination of discoveries to K-12 students through outreach program; and 4) developing lab/course modules for high-school teachers and students.