Building Better Materials for Better Therapies

Biomaterials can be defined as any materials, natural or synthetic, which are used therapeutically to repair, restore or replace lost function. While such materials have been around for decades, continuous improvements in the understanding of how the body interacts with implanted materials led to the progression of this field from the use of anything which was surgically available to use of materials which were deemed biocompatible.

Recent advances have been in exploring materials which are not passive and walled off by the body but actively participate in the body's efforts to repair itself. Such biomimetic and bioactive materials are designed to more accurately mimic the body's natural structures and functions from macro to micro to nano levels.

Specific research in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University focuses on the development of new materials and material coatings and the use of materials in the delivery of therapeutic products (drug delivery). Additionally, research in tissue engineering focuses on combining materials with cellular technologies to create hybrids, which are able to grow and repair themselves.

Biomaterials applications include cardiovascular biomimetic materials and analysis of biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. Other research involves polymeric surface coatings for implants and sensors, as well as hostbiomaterial interactions. Another application area is cutting-edge research in nano-scale orthopedic biomaterials and hard/soft tissue biomechanics.

Tissue engineering research at Case Western Reserve ranges from multi-scale modeling of transport within engineered tissues, to development of novel degradable materials, to use of adult and embryonic stem cells as research tools. Applications include orthopedic, cardiovascular, and neural tissues.

Researchers in drug delivery are exploring new paradigms in how drugs are released from devices, combining delivery with in vivo imaging, and creating micro and nano drug carriers. Applications include cardiovascular therapy, cancer therapy, HIV, surgical site infections, and orthopedic and ophthalmological applications.

Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering Faculty

Primary Faculty	Research Interests	Email Address
ALSBERG, Eben	Biomimetic tissue engineering; innovative biomaterials and drug delivery vehicles for functional tissue regeneration; control of stem cell fate decision; precise temporal and spatial signal presentation to regulate cell behavior; influence of mechanics on cell behavior and tissue formation; cell-cell interaction	eben.alsberg@case.edu
EPPELL, Steven	Synthesis and measurement of orthopedica tissues and biomaterials with an emphasis on nanoscale measurement and design considerations.	sje@case.edu
KNOTHE TATE,Melissa	Development of preventative, treatment and replacement measures for bone disease and failure; Multi-scale modeling of the interplay between mechanics and transport in biological systems: cell mechanics => tissue engineering	knothetate@case.edu
Lavik, Erin	Biomaterials, synthesis of new degradable polymers; tissue engineering; spinal cord repair; retinal regeneration; drug delivery for optic nerve preservation and repair	erin.lavik@case.edu
MARCHANT, Roger E.	Surface modification of cardiovascular devices; molecular level structure and function of plasma proteins; liposome drug delivery systems; mechanisms of bacterial adhesion to biomaterials	rxm4@case.edu
SEN GUPTA, Anirban	Development and surface-modification of lipidic and polymeric nanoparticles for "targeting" cardiovascular and cancer pathology, thereby providing a platform for "targeted nanomedicine and molecular imaging"; development and characterization of novel amino-acid based polymeric systems for potential application in tissue engineering scaffolds.	anirban.sengupta@case.edu
VON RECUM, Horst	Novel polymer platforms for gene and drug delivery; directed stem cell differentiation for engineering tissues from non-proliferative cells	hav1@case.edu
Associated Faculty	Research Interests	Email Address
ANDERSON, James M.	Blood and tissue/material interactions; implantable devices and biomaterials; biocompatibility	jma6@case.edu
BASKARAN, Harihara	Microvascular tissue engineering, cell migration in wound healing, inflammation, and cancer metastasis	hxb35@case.edu
CAPADONA, Jeffrey	Neural penetrating electrodes; biomaterial surface science; biomimetic materials; and polymer nanocomposites	jcapadona@aptcenter.org
CAPLAN, Arnold	Use of adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells for tissue engineered regeneration of skeletal tissues and for cell-based therapies for asthma, multiple sclerosis, infarct, and graft-versus-host disease	arnold.caplan@case.edu
DEAN, David	Computer-assisted surgery; skull (bone) tissue engineering; photodynamic therapy of glioma; automated radiosurgery treatment planning	david.dean@case.edu
DENNIS, James	Tissue engineering of cartilage subtypes; total joint resurfacing; engineering of neo-trachea; targeted stem-cell delivery	james.dennis@case.edu
DERWIN, Kathleen	Tendon mechanobiology and tissue engineering	derwink@ccf.org
EXNER, Agata A.	Innovative applications of biocompatible polymers and other biomaterials in imaging and interventional radiology	agata.exner@case.edu
GRAHAM, Linda M.	Healing of prosthetic vascular grafts	grahamL@ccf.org
HERNANDEZ, Christopher	Bone mechanics; bone adaptation; multi-scale mechanics; mechanobiology	christopher.hernandez@case.edu
KOTTKE-MARCHANT, Kandice	Cellular function and gene expression on biomimetic surfaces and tissue engineering scaffolds; interaction of blood and materials	marchak@ccf.org
LANDIS, William	Mineralization of vertebrates; effect of mechanical force on mineralization; calcium transport in mineralization; tissue engineering	wjl@neoucom.edu
MUSCHLER, George	Bone tissue engineering; osteoblastic differentiation; age, gender, and diseaserelated changes in connective tissue progenitors	muschlg@ccf.org
PENN, Marc	Optimization of cardiac function following myocardial infarction with an emphasis on developing novel strategies for cell and gene based tissue engineering	pennm@ccf.org
RIMNAC, Clare	Mechanical behavior and constitutive modeling of materials in total joint replacements; damage/fracture behavior of bone tissue	Clare.Rimnac@case.edu
ROWAN, Stuart	Investigation and utlization of Supramolecular Chemistry (chemistry of non-covalent bond) in polymer chemistry	Stuart.Rowan@case.edu
ZBOROWSKI, Maciej	Continuous magnetic cell sorting; cell tracking velocimetry; magnetic nanoparticle characterization	zborow@bme.ri.ccf.org
ZIADY, Assem G.	Self-assembling, non-viral gene-therapy; proteomics in cystic fibrosis; redox mediated inflammatory signaling in the lung	agz2@case.edu
ZIATS, Nicholas P.	Vascular grafts; cell-material interactions; extra cellular matrix; tissue engineering; blood compatibility	npz@case.edu

 

Affiliated Labs and Centers

•	Center for Cardiovascular Biomaterials
•	Neurological Surgery Imaging Laboratory
•	Center for the Delivery of Molecules and Cells
•	Alsberg Stem Cell and Engineered Novel Therapeutics (ASCENT) Laboratory
•	Musculoskeletal Mechanics and Materials Laboratories
•	Experimental and Computational Mechanobiology Laboratories
•	Center for In Situ Cell and Tissue Imaging