The Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Research Initiation Awards (RIAs) provide support to STEM junior faculty at HBCUs who are starting to build a research program, as well as for mid-career faculty who may have returned to the faculty ranks after holding an administrative post or who need to redirect and rebuild a research program. Faculty members may pursue research at their home institution, at an NSF-funded Center, at a research intensive institution or at a national laboratory. The RIA projects are expected to help further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, to improve research and teaching at his or her home institution, and to involve undergraduate students in research experiences. With support from the National Science Foundation, Alabama State University (ASU) will conduct research to address the current lack of ideal cell source for the therapy of hepatocyte transplantation (HT), which is considered as an alternative "bridge" treatment to liver transplantation until a donor liver becomes available. This project plans to create a new cell culture platform to better control stem cell behavior, leading to a possible solution to the shortage of hepatocytes for hepatocyte transplantation treatment. Non-human (porcine) hepatocytes will be used as a source of liver cells for this study. This project will enhance the academic capabilities and outreach activities at ASU. It will provide new research and educational resources for the newly established bachelor's degree program in Biomedical Engineering (BME). Undergraduate students will be afforded the opportunity to participate in various research projects and obtain training in cutting-edge research. These experiences will equip them with the skills necessary to become nationally competitive and prepare them for advanced studies and future careers in STEM. The proposed research is aligned with the mission of the BME program to produce high quality graduates with superior technical, professional, and scientific backgrounds in biomedicine.
The goal of this study is to develop a novel cell culture microenvironment by combining a structure-controlled synthetic scaffold with biologically active matrix co-cultured with nonparenchymal cells to positively manipulate stem cell destiny. The specific aims of this project are to: 1) functionalize the multi-layered bioplotted scaffold with liver extracellular matrix (ECM) and signaling peptides to modulate hepatic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs); and 2) characterize the influence of hepatic stellate cells on BM-MSC-derived hepatocytes in vitro and in vivo. The proposed project combines 3D bioprinting and matrix remodeling with liver ECM proteins, signaling peptides, and nonparenchymal cells to create a functionally and structurally natural liver microenvironment. The findings from this study will provide a great step towards positively impacting patients with end-stage liver diseases. In addition, knowledge gained from the proposed research will be applied to the advancement of liver regenerative medicine, as well as to furthering the understanding of fundamental bioengineering techniques. This project will be conducted in collaboration with Northwestern University.
