Implementation of biomaterials to study and control complex cell behaviors

Abstract

Biomedical research has led to many advancements in healthcare for the treatment, diagnosis and monitoring of many diseases. Tissue engineering is a discipline within biomedical research that combines engineering principles with biology to understand and recreate tissues and complex cellular structures. This thesis focuses on the work done to understand a variety of different diseases by monitoring the cellular responses of tissue specific cells on biomimetic materials or by tuning material properties to obtain a desired cellular response. To study glaucoma, a biomimetic scaffold was produced to replicate the native trabecular meshwork tissue and changes to cell behavior was monitored by measuring proliferation, protein expression, and migration throughout the scaffold. This work led to the development of biomimetic bone grafts of the same collagen material which was then used to characterize cellular behavior through proliferation and osteoinductive potential. Finally, this work led to the ration design of a dental composite that could impart fast setting, mechanically strong, biocompatible, and odontoinductive properties that would lead to the regeneration of dental tissue. The combination of these works helps to further the understanding of three separate diseases by characterizing and manipulating how cells in each system interact specifically with their native environment.