Research Interest
We develop biomaterials and engineering technologies to improve our understanding of how cells interact with their extracellular microenvironment. By applying in vitro and in vivo models our goal is to probe tissue regeneration and repair in diseases such as fibrotic, congenital and inflammatory disorders, and with a particular focus on the pulmonary system.
Related Publications
Mechanical forces provide critical biological signals to cells and act across various length scales. Our recent efforts are focused on developing engineering tools that enable mechanistic studies of mechanical forces in a number of tissue and disease-specific contexts. Using our engineered in vitro systems, we are specifically interested in probing how mechanical forces direct function of lung epithelial and mesenchymal cell populations.
How do cells respond to dynamic changes in their environment?
Photo-crosslinking of ex vivo mouse and human lung tissue using di-tyrosine crosslinking.
Biological tissues are structurally complex and heterogeneous, such as the fundamental shape changes during epithelial tissue folding or the multi-axial tension and compression during breathing. Our current efforts include the engineering of hydrogels, including new strategies to synthesize functional polymers with dynamic properties and the design of magnetoactive and visco-elastic soft materials to emulate such complex and dynamic biological environments.
Related Publications
Wei K*, Roy A*, Ejike S, Eiken MK, Plaster EM, Shi A, Shtein M, Loebel C. Magnetoactive hammocks to probe lung epithelial cell function. Cell Mol Bioeng Journal, in press
Polymer Syntheses
and
Programmable Hydrogels
Engineered magnetoactive hammocks to recreate the mechanical forces that cells experience within the lung alveoli. Link to: Wei K*, Roy A*, Ejike S, Eiken MK, Plaster EM, Shi A, Shtein M, Loebel C. Magnetoactive hammocks to probe lung epithelial cell function. Cell Mol Bioeng Journal, in press
Related Publications
Almost every cell in the body is surrounded by extracellular matrix, which guides cell function and fate. Our recent studies have shown that within engineered microenvironments, newly secreted (nascent) matrix alters cell- and organoid-hydrogel interactions. Building upon these observations, we are currently probing several questions related to nascent matrix composition and biophysics.
How do cells shape their environment in vitro?
Newly secreted (nascent) proteins (white) deposited by hydrogel-embedded mesenchymal stromal cells (Loebel et al., Nature Materials 2019)–link toLoebel C, Mauck RL, Burdick. JA Local nascent protein deposition and remodelingguide mesenchymal stromal cell mechanosensing and fate in three-dimensionalhydrogels. Nature Materials, 18, 883-891, 2019.
Collaborative Projects
Illustration: Whole-lobe immunostain of a primary AT2 transplant recipient, showing extent of engraftment and proliferation throughout injured lobes (scale bar 1000 µm). Image modified from Weinert et. al., Nature Regenerative Medicine 2019
Goal: Hydrogels to support orthotopic transplantation of alveolar progenitor cells
Illustration: Applied hyaluronic acid hydrogel atop cartilage defects forms a stable sealing by interpenetrating with secreted matrix proteins (scale bars 50 µm).
Goal: Hydrogels as cell-adhesive sealants towards articular cartilage repair