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Lucas Lu, PhD

University of Delaware

Lucas Lu

A Biomimetic Heterogeneous Synthetic Matrices for TMJ Condylar Cartilage Repair

Dr. X. Lucas Lu received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University with distinction in 2007. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware with a joint appointment in the Biomedical Engineering program and the Biomechanics and Movement Science program. The primary focus of Dr. Lu’s current research is cartilage tissue engineering and the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of osteoarthritis. His research is funded by the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation.

Abstract:

Temporamandibular joint (TMJ) disorders affect over 10 million Americans and are often caused by osteoarthritis (OA) or “internal derangement” of the joint. TMJ disorders pose a significant challenge in maxillofacial surgery. Here, we propose a matrix-guided, tissue engineering approach for the repair and regeneration of TMJ condylar cartilage. Our approach relies on the development of a multilayered synthetic matrix that recapitulates the anisotropic feature and the tension-compression nonlinearity. We will create a composite matrix consisting of a bottom, hyaluronan (HA)-based gel layer with spatial gradient of biochemical cues, and a top fibrous layer, de novo designed to mimic the structure and function of type I collagen. Mesenchymal stem cells residing in the matrix will receive signals from the matrix to undergo programmed differentiation in a spatial fashion. The potential of the synthetic matrix in cartilage repair will be tested in an in vitro culture system, as a TMJ osteochondral explant with physiologically relevant mechanical loading, for the generation of new cartilage tissue at the lesion site. We expect that the engineered tissue will exhibit a defined layered and zonal structure and integrate with the host tissue to fulfill the mechanical requirements of daily TMJ activities. This project represents the first effort to fabricate a biomimetic scaffold for TMJ condylar cartilage repair by replicating the unique multilayered structure found in the native tissue. The new synthetic matrix also provides a powerful in vitro platform to study the mechnobiology of TMJ chondrocytes and the developmental biology of condylar cartilage.

Publications accepted:

1. Han, Z.; Trout, W. S.; Liu, S.; Andrade, G. A.; Hudson, D. A.; Scinto, S. L.; Dicker, K. T.; Li, Y.; Lazouski, N.; Rosenthal, J.; Thorpe, C; Jia, X.; Fox, J. M. “Rapid Bioorthogonal Chemistry Turn–on through Enzymatic or Long Wavelength Photocatalytic Activation of Tetrazine Ligation”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 38, 5978–5983.   Full Text

2. Ravikrishnan, A.; Ozdemir, T.; Bah, M.; Baskerville, K. A.; Shah, S. I.; Ayyappan, R. K.; Jia, X. “Regulation of Epithelial–to–Mesenchymal Transition Using Biomimetic Fibrous Scaffolds” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2016, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b05646. Full Text

3. Ruggiero L, Zimmerman BK, Park M, Han L, Wang L, Burris DL, Lu XL. Roles of the Fibrous Superficial Zone in the Mechanical Behavior of TMJ Condylar Cartilage. Annals of biomedical engineering. 2015; PMID: 25893511  Abstract

Presentations:

1. Jia, X. “Modular and orthogonal approaches for the construction of functional biomaterials” Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal, July 13, 2015.

2. Jia, X. “Modular and orthogonal approaches for the construction of functional biomaterials” Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland, July 15, 2015.

3. Jia, X. “Modular and orthogonal approaches for the construction of functional biomaterials” CNRS et Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble, Université de Grenoble, Grenoble, France, July 17, 2015.

4. Jia, X. “Modular and orthogonal approaches for the construction of functional biomaterials” Gordon Research Conference, Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering, Girona, Spain, July 19-24, 2015.

5. Jia, X. “Modular and orthogonal approaches for the construction of functional biomaterials”

6. Department of Materials, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom, July 27, 2015.

7. Jia, X. “Modular and orthogonal approaches for the construction of functional biomaterials”

8. Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Warwick, United Kingdom, July 29, 2015.

9. Dicker, K. T.; Zhang, H.; Liu, S.; Fox, J. M.; Jia, X. “Modular and orthogonal approaches for the construction of functional biomaterials” 250th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Boston, MA, August 16-20, 2015

10. Jia, X. “Engineering Cell-Instructive Environments for the Assembly of Functional Tissues” The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, July 1, 2015.

11. Jia, X. “Biomaterials-Based Approaches for the Engineering of Physiologically-Relevant Tissue Models” Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, February 11, 2016.

CONTACT

Osteo Science Foundation
475 Wall Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
215-977-2877
855-891-2877 Toll Free
info@osteoscience.org

Osteo Science Foundation is an independent, privately funded 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. | PRIVACY POLICY

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