PROJECT 3: Tissue-on-a-Chip Platform for Mesenchymal Stem Cell Potency

Test-Bed Involved: MSC

This project will establish a potent, tissue-mimetic in vitro platform to evaluate the potency of MSC preparations. We also expect that this platform will be easily expanded to other biomarkers (e.g., metabolites) and in-line sensors in future applications. Biomarker profiling will also be correlated with high content imaging of mesenchymal stem cell morphology, which could yield inline early prediction of biomarker profiles.

Aim 1. Engineer perfusable microfluidic chip systems of varying physical and cellular complexity containing a defined synthetic hydrogel seeded with MSC for inflammatory biomarker profiling in response to inflammatory stimuli.

Aim 2. Correlate inflammation biomarkers for hMSC cultured in the microfluidic chip and planar tissue culture plastic to in vivo inflammatory biomarker secretion for hMSC implanted subcutaneously in immunocompromised mice.