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Lessons in Translation: The Immune System in Tissue Repair and Biomaterial Response Across Lifespan

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Monday, February 27, 2023 12pm to 1pm

Fashion by Marina Debris

Event Dates

Monday, February 27, 2023 12pm to 1pm

Science and Engineering Complex, 3.301+3.302+3.303 View map
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Jennifer Elisseeff (Johns Hopkins University)

Biomaterial implants have a long history in the clinic but regenerative biomaterials and regenerative medicine therapies have been slow to reach patients. Clinical translation provides a unique and critical opportunity to investigate the key therapeutic drivers of technology efficacy in people. Our clinical translation experiences in orthopedics and plastic surgery yielded the unexpected discovery of adaptive immune response to biomaterials. The immune system is a first responder to trauma, and depending on phenotype, can orchestrate downstream processes including stem cell activation, vasculogenesis and new matrix production. The immune system can also act as powerful “brakes” to tissue repair and induce fibrotic responses. Using a combination of experimental and computational approaches, we are working to understand the role of the adaptive immune system and cellular senescence in the biomaterial response and tissue repair across the body. We are exploring factors often not considered in the design and translation process including sex, age, diet, and history of infection, to understand how they contribute to differences in the biomaterial and regenerative response. This research serves as the basis for the design of regenerative immunotherapies, a new therapeutic target in regenerative medicine.

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