This is a past event.

for Ischemic Tissue Regeneration

Biomedical Engineering Graduate Seminar

Dr. Jianjun Guan, PhD
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
Washington University, St. Louis

Abstract: Ischemic diseases, such as myocardial infarction (MI) and critical limb ischemia (CLI), affect millions of people in the US alone. Ischemic tissues have limited regeneration capability due to low nutrient and oxygen, high reactive oxygen species (ROS), and tissue inflammation. Inhibiting adverse cardiac remodeling and promoting tissue vascularization are critical for heart regeneration. For ischemic limbs, quick vascularization to restore blood perfusion and stimulation of skeletal muscle regeneration are optimal therapeutic goals. In this talk, biomaterials-based drug and stem cell delivery systems that control cardiac extracellular matrix degradation, attenuate cardiac fibrosis, promote cell survival, and decrease tissue inflammation after MI will be presented. In addition, stem cell delivery systems that can rapidly restore blood perfusion and muscle function in ischemic limbs will be discussed.

Bio: Dr. Jianjun Guan’s research interests are biomaterials, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine. Specifically, his research is focused on: development of biomimetic elastic polymers; generation and mathematical modeling of nano-structured scaffolds mimicking biomechanical and structural properties of cardiovascular tissues; injectable, fast gelation, and highly flexible hydrogels for cell and drug therapies; design of novel drugs and their delivery systems to control cardiac fibrosis and cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, and to promote fast angiogenesis after myocardial infarction; multifunctional stem cell delivery systems for myocardial, ischemic brain, and ischemic limb regeneration; engineering cardiac patches capable of fast angiogenesis; development of polymeric, degradable, and imageable electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) probes and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probes for real time oxygen detection in tissues; and mechanisms of stem cell fate determination by biomaterials. Dr. Guan’s research has been funded by National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, American Heart Association, and biomedical industries.