Developing a medium-throughput collagen biomaterial model system

The field of biomedical research has long recognized the need to develop higher order biomaterial model systems for improved disease characterization and translational therapeutic/material progress. There is, however, difficulty in developing these workflows at the scale of conventional two-dimensional cell culture screening systems while simultaneously approaching a level of complexity necessary to consider translation to in vivo animal models. Here, we describe a three-dimensional (3D), in vitro model system to investigate the impact of stromal cell migration from one microenvironment to another at a medium-throughput scale. Importantly, we demonstrate the ability of this workflow to be utilized as a screening tool for collagen-based biomaterial motifs of interest in promoting craniomaxillofacial bone defect repair. As potential next steps in utilization of this model, we probe questions underlying a dual modification of the mechanics and chemistry of a mesh collagen scaffold design for instructing bone regeneration, potential of a collagen scaffold to be drug loaded and quantifying a release profile, and lastly investigate collagen scaffolds in a new disease and cell context for understanding fibroblast mechanobiology. These serve as a preliminary set of materials designs for potential integration into the developed model system. Overall, we explore new routes of creating medium-throughput screening workflows and illuminate new material motifs that inform fundamental and translational biologic questions.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Rubino, Grace Alexandra

Contributors dc:contributor

• Harley, Brendan

• Bone Regeneration
• Collagen Scaffold
• Hydrogel Biomaterial

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Grace A. Rubino

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127477

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F127477