CHED 777 |
| Tissue engineering is popular due to the increase need for tissue repair and replacement in the medical field. Synthesizing tissue from a patient's own cells dramatically reduces the chances of an autoimmune response and the need for immunosuppressants. It utilizes scaffolds on which cells adhere and grow. An alumina membrane nanoscaffold was tested for the adherence and stimulation of rat osteosarcoma cells (UMR-108). It was then compared to an alumina membrane scaffold sputtered with 500 nm of hydroxyapetite and one whose pores are filled with a 6:1 gelatin to gellan gum polymer. SEM and EDX were performed to qualitatively analyze cell growth, as well as a trypan blue dye exclusion essay to determine cell viability. The amount and characteristics of the collagen matrix secreted was also determined through western blots. Moreover, characterization of the cellular response to the nano-environments was evaluated through the protein expression of p27, a protein increasingly expressed during cell cycle exit. Through preliminary research, it is hypothesized that the alumina membrane nanoscaffold stimulates the most cell growth in comparison to the other scaffolds and tissue culture plates. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Biochemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |