Research

Summary: Macrophages that have engulfed apoptotic cells tend to polarize toward an anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotype over a pro-inflammatory (M1) phenotype. Our lab is interested in which characteristics of apoptotic cells cause this shift. We also utilize the anti-inflammatory nature of apoptotic cells to produce nanoparticle systems to aid in the calming of inflammation for regenerative medicine.
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Summary: The over-expression of pro-angiogenic factors within tumors leads to aggressive development of blood vessels; developing effective treatments necessitates imaging of tumor vasculature response. In collaboration with Dr. Tyrone Porter, we are developing a novel contrast agent complexed in a liposomal construct to aid in optical and photoacoustic imaging modalities.
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Summary: Scaffolds play essential roles in drug delivery and tissue engineering. They not only provide the architecture to deliver therapeutics and to support cells, but also physical cues for cell behavior, including attachment, proliferation, and gene expression. Superior scaffolds have a variety of characteristics in common: they have a physical structure similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM); they are robust enough to support either drug loading and controlled release or cell attachment and cellular expansion; they are highly hydrated at physiological conditions; they are diffusive enough to allow nutrients, growth factors, or bioactive molecules to reach cells in addition to facilitating the removal of cellular wastes; and they have built-in degradability that allows for easy clearance with nontoxic byproducts.
Protein-inspired, peptide hydrogels are promising for biomaterials applications. Hydrogels made from self-assembling peptides have significant potential in drug delivery and tissue engineering because they provide a highly hydrated, ECM-like environment with inherent biocompatibility and straightforward tunability due to the nature and character of amino acids; such constructs therefore have characteristics that mimic the natural environment and can be readily designed for specific purposes. Small molecule, self-assembling peptides are a promising new field in scaffold-design research.
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Areas of Research