In situ control of mesenchymal stem cell behavior using programmable biomaterials

• Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Manav Mehta
• Subject Area: Biomaterials
• Term: from 2012 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 221524171

Complications in treatment of large bone defects using bone grafting still remain. Biomaterial-based delivery of single exogenous GFs and cell delivery approaches have shown limited therapeutic efficacy, still remain inferior, costlier and complicated. An attractive new approach is to control host BMSCs using programmable biomaterials, to enable regeneration of bone after severe trauma. This project tests the hypothesis that programmable biomaterials can be used in situ to specifically recruit, expand and differentiate host bone marrow stromal mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in a critical size bone defect, and promote functional restoration of the tissue.Aim 1: Development of a soft bioactive programmable biomaterial to deliver programmable cuesA biodegradable polymer system will be developed to spatiotemporally control BMSCs. The biomaterial system will be designed to (i) mimic material properties of a soft bioactive callus (ECM cues), (ii) present programmable cues to effectively control BMSC behavior.Aim 2: Testing the programmable biomaterial in a critical sized bone defectThe ability of the programmable biomaterial developed in Aim 1 to effectively promote bone regeneration will be evaluated in a 5 mm critical sized femoral bone defect model in rats.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants