News

October 7, 2020

Researchers develop a minimally invasive biodegradable microneedle patch as a novel delivery mode for gene therapy applications

(LOS ANGELES) - There is great potential in gene therapy for treating certain types of cancer and genetic defects, immunological diseases, wounds and infections. The therapies work by delivering genes into the patients' cells, which then produce therapeutic proteins to treat the affliction.

When determining the method of delivery for these genes, there are advantages to choosing a local, rather than systemic delivery of the genetic material. With systemic delivery, there is the possibility of unwanted tissue accumulation or of the genetic material becoming unstable. It is also advantageous to target the skin as a site for local delivery, as it is easily accessible and contains fluid and lymph vessels, as well as immune cells upon which the genetic material can act to initiate treatment.

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Septemer 23, 2020

(LOS ANGELES) - The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation welcomes its Director and CEO, Ali Khademhosseini, PhD, who joins the institute with extensive research and leadership experience in the field of biomedical technology.  He is formerly a Professor of Bioengineering at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Professor at Harvard Medical School/MIT. He is joining the institute from Amazon, Inc, where he recently completed his sabbatical.  He is recognized as a world-renowned leader in combining micro- and nano-engineering approaches with advanced biomaterials for regenerative medicine applications and has authored over 600 peer-reviewed journal papers.  In addition, Dr. Khademhosseini is a co-founder and Scientific Board Member of Obsidio, Incorporated, a biomaterials technology startup company. 

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September 16, 2020

Researchers find their computer-tailored education system, “Your Path to Transplant” increases knowledge and readiness to pursue kidney transplant  

(LOS ANGELES) – Patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease have to go to a dialysis center for hours at a time, several times a week for the rest of their lives. Patients on dialysis have strict dietary restrictions, and have difficulty maintaining a job or school with all of the hours that are spent at the dialysis center each week. Often, dialysis is the main treatment doctors tell patients about, so patients go along with it. However, a living donor kidney transplant is the most effective treatment for end-stage renal disease.  Past research has shown that doctors typically spend about a half an hour giving patients  large quantities of information all at once about transplantation, which causes patients to become overwhelmed with the decision.  

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September 9, 2020

Newly developed bioink enhances the ability of implanted cells to grow and regenerate new tissue 

(LOS ANGELES) – Engineering new tissues can be used to alleviate shortages of organs in transplantation, as well as to develop physiological models for drug discovery applications. One of the emerging approaches to building tissues is through 3D Printing, where cells and materials can be combined to make inks that can generate tissue structures. One of the limitations for making new tissues is that they require oxygen to survive. This oxygen is delivered through blood vessels, which take a few days to develop in a transplanted tissue.  

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