Abstract: Marrow stromal cells (MSCs) have been explored as therapeutic cells in a variety of applications due, in part, to their ability to secrete anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative factors. However, expansion of fit MSCs to reach the numbers needed for clinical applications remains a challenge. Over the past several years, we have explored the effects of biochemical and mechanical properties of biomaterial substrates on the expansion and secretome of MSCs, both in planar and microcarrier formats. This presentation will summarize key findings from our laboratory, including that that hydrogel substrates of stiffness ~100KPa promote expansion of MSCs with reduced senescence compared to standard tissue culture poly(styrene) (TCP). We have also found that hydrogel substrates improve secretion of various immunomodulatory factors compared to TCP, although exactly which factors are upregulated depends on the format of the substrate (planar surface vs. microcarrier bead). Taken together, these findings suggest that biomaterials can be tuned to improve expansion of fit MSCs for a variety of therapeutic applications.
Bio: Dr. Johnna S. Temenoff is the Carol Ann and David D. Flanagan Professor the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech/Emory University. She is also currently the Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center in Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT) and the Director of the Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing (MC3M). Scientifically, Dr. Temenoff is interested in scaling culture of therapeutic cells and tailoring the molecular interactions between glycosaminoglycans and proteins/cells for use in regenerative medicine applications. Her laboratory focuses primarily on promoting repair after injuries to the tissues of the shoulder, including cartilage, tendon, and muscle.
Dr. Temenoff has been honored with several prestigious awards, such as the NSF CAREER Award, Arthritis Foundation Investigator Award, and Society for Biomaterials (SFB) Clemson Award for Contributions to the Literature, and was named to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers (AIMBE), as a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), as a Fellow of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE) and as a Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUSBSE). She has co-authored a highly successful introductory textbook - Biomaterials: The Intersection of Biology and Materials Science, by J.S. Temenoff and A.G. Mikos (now in a 2nd edition), for which Dr. Temenoff and Dr. Mikos were awarded the American Society for Engineering Education’s Meriam/Wiley Distinguished Author Award for best new engineering textbook.
