As a member of Boston Bioprinting Consortium (BBC), we are addressing a wide range of bioprinting research topics from regenerative medicine to tumor engineering. Please see below for the current list of projects.
1. Cho Lab
Choi-Fong Cho, Ph.D.
ccho@bwh.harvard.edu
Assistant Professor, HMS/ BWH/ Broad Institute
http://researchfaculty.brighamandwomens.org/BRIProfile.aspx?id=6488
In vitro blood-brain-barrier (BBB) models are crucial tools for the study of BBB transport and development of CNS drugs; however, reproducibility of BBB properties and functions in cultured brain endothelial cells has proven to be challenging. We would like to use 3D bio-printing technology to construct brain microvascular structures for modeling the BBB in a setting that closely mimics a living environment and investigating drug delivery across the BBB.
2. Dai Lab
Guohao Dai, Ph.D.
g.dai@northeastern.edu
Associate Professor, Northeastern University
http://www.bioe.neu.edu/people/dai-guohao
We want to fabricate heart valve using the elastic hydrogel for pediatric congenital heart valve defect repair. We aim to make the heart valve with custom geometry containing human cells and biodegradable materials so that it can undergo biomechanical stimulation and remodeling.
3. Fang Lab
Nicholas X. Fang, Ph.D.
nicfang@mit.edu
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT
https://meche.mit.edu/people/faculty/NICFANG@MIT.EDU
We are interested in developing a novel 3-dimensional bioprinting platform and manufacturing protocols, which combine droplet-/extrusion-based printing of cell-laden bioinks with visible-light-based photocrosslinking based on high-resolution organic light-emitting diode (oLED) display.
4. Frank Lab
Markus Frank, M.D.
markus.frank@childrens.harvard.edu
Associate Professor, HMS
http://www.childrenshospital.org/research/researchers/f/markus-frank
Natasha Y. Frank, M.D.
nyfrank@bwh.harvard.edu
Assistant Professor, HMS/BWH/VA Boston Healthcare System/BCH
http://researchfaculty.brighamandwomens.org/briprofile.aspx?id=1172
The corneal limbus contains a small subpopulation of rare limbal stem cells (LSC) that continually repopulates the corneal epithelium. Patients with limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) are unable to regenerate the corneal epithelium, resulting in "conjunctivalization" of the corneal stroma that triggers neovascularization, chronic inflammation, and ultimately blindness due to an irreversibly opaque cornea. A major barrier to the treatment of patients with bilateral LSCD is the shortage of donor tissue available for transplantation, highlighting the need for alternative approaches to LSC transplantation, one of which might be skin-derived stem cells. Our laboratory recently discovered that the ABCB5 gene, a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of transmembrane proteins, identifies LSC in humans and mice (Ksander et al. Nature 2014) and that these LSC are capable of long-term restoration of the corneal epithelium in an immunodeficient mouse model of LSCD. In addition to LSC, we found that ABCB5 is also expressed by multipotent dermal stem cells (DSC) (Schatton et al. Cell Rep. 2015). Based on previous studies demonstrating the ability of skin-derived cells to regenerate corneal epithelium (Ouyang et al. Nature 2014) we hypothesize that ABCB5+ DSC could provide an alternative source of stem cells for corneal epithelial regeneration in patients with bilateral LSCD. We will use 3D bioprinting technology to create a biodegradable scaffold to transplant ABCB5+ stem cells, in order to further facilitate re-establishment of the limbus and stem cell niche.
5. Kim Lab
Sangbae Kim, Ph.D.
sangbae@mit.edu
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT
http://meche.mit.edu/people/faculty/SANGBAE@MIT.EDU
I have a broad background in mechanical engineering, with specific training and expertise in biomechanics and robotics. My research includes electronic motor development for legged robots, where the performance characteristics should be comparable to mammalian muscles. Our group has been investigating the biomechanics of animal behaviors. and forming hypotheses of the underlying control principles of biological systems. As a robotic expert, I will provide my expertise in developing the modular robotic platform for the bioprinters and control interfaces, focusing on improving the printing precision and speed.
6. Lian Lab
Christine G. Lian, M.D.
cglian@bwh.harvard.edu
Associate Professor of Pathology, HMS/ BWH
https://connects.catalyst.harvard.edu/Profiles/display/Person/13381
We are interested in studying epigenetic regulations of melanoma by using the 3-D bioprinting technology. We aim to elucidate epigenetic regulations of melanoma cells and their interactions with immune cells the printed ex vivo model to discover novel therapeutic approaches.
7. Murphy Lab
George F. Murphy, M.D.
gmurphy@bwh.harvard.edu
Professor of Pathology, HMS/BWH
http://researchfaculty.brighamandwomens.org/BRIProfile.aspx?id=396
We are interested in studying skin stem cells by using the 3-D bioprinting technology. We aim to elucidate epigenetic regulations of skin stem cells with the printed ex vivo biomimetic skin model and test the modalities of epigenetic reprogramming with the goal of skin regeneration and wound healing.
8. Yoo Lab
Seung-Schik Yoo, Ph.D., MBA
yoo@bwh.harvard.edu
Associate Professor of Radiology, BWH/HMS
http://projects.iq.harvard.edu/ntel
We want to build a biomimetic, immunocompetent, full-thickness skin model without using traditional air-liquid-interface (ALI) technique. We aim to morphologically and functionally characterize T-cell interactions with the printed skin structure to investigate pathophysiology of cell-mediated inflammatory dermatoses, which may ultimately offer ex vivo testing platform for designing personalized treatment protocols
We also would like to utilize the massively-multiplex bioprinting capability to print the biological structure having more than 20 types of cell lines and scaffold structures, which is unprecedented at this time. The goal will address the dire needs to manufacture highly-complicated biomimetic structure with multiple cells and extracellular matrices.
9. Yoon Lab
Charles H. Yoon, M.D., Ph.D., FACS
cyoon@bwh.harvard.edu
Assistant Professor of Surgery, HMS
Dana Faber Cancer Institute/BWH
https://www.dana-farber.org/find-a-doctor/charles-h-yoon/
Metastatic melanoma remains difficult to treat despite recent advances in immune and targeted therapy. In vitro creation of patient-specific biomimetic melanoma model is expected to provide deeper understanding of the disease. In particular, patient specific models will help clinicians and scientists to develop individualized treatment strategy. We wish to develop melanoma skin model containing patient-specific melanoma cell lines and other tumor stroma-specific cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF), to recapitulate in the model the key features in cancer growth, invasion, and early evidence of metastatic activity (e.g., intravasation of the cells into the vascular channels).