Heilshorn Biomaterials Group

Materials Science & Engineering Department
Stanford University

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Andreina Parisi-Amon

email: andreina AT stanford DOT edu

Dept: Bioengineering

        B.S.E Biomedical Engineering,
        Duke University


2D cell culture, although convenient, does not come close to imitating the cells' native environment, complicating the quest to understand what directs cellular proliferation and differentiation. Enter MITCH, our mixing-induced, two-component hydrogel. This material is made from recombinant proteins that harness the binding interactions between WW and proline-rich domains. By creating two components, each one multiple repeat strands of one of these domains, and mixing them together, we form a material that gels upon mixing. It is ideal for cell encapsulation since no harsh treatments, such as pH or temperature shifts, are needed to induce gelling. These gels have already been used to direct the proliferation and differentiation of neural precursor cells into neurons. Human adipocyte derived stem cells (hASCs) are adult stem cells that are easilty and abundantly harvested through a simple liposuction procedure. It has already been shown in 2D that hASCs are able to differentiate into osteoblasts and lay down a calcium matrix. My goal is to take advantage of our ability to tune the material's mechanical properties to use the scaffold for bone regeneration applications.                                                                                                                                                                    



Materials Science & Engineering DepartmentStanford University

Updated 2/10