Microfabricated Systems for Regenerative Medicine

Dr. Jeffrey T. Borenstein
Director of Biomedical Engineering Center
Draper Laboratory
Cambridge, Massachusetts
ABSTRACT:
The emerging field of regenerative medicine is being spurred by dramatic advances in molecular and cell biology, biomaterials, computational biology and micro- and nanofabrication technologies. From cell-based drug discovery platforms to wearable organ assist devices, and ultimately implantable replacement organs, the next generation of therapeutic technologies will be based on a convergence of these disciplines. In this presentation, a platform technology for the generation of vascularized tissues and organs will be described, including the computational methods used to design these systems, as well as microfabrication techniques used to guide multiple cell types in three-dimensional structures. Preliminary results on three-dimensional endothelialized microvascular networks, and a range of acellular and cell-based systems for replacement of liver and kidney function, will be presented.

BIO:
Jeffrey Borenstein is currently Director of the Biomedical Engineering Center and is a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is an Associate Director of the Center for the Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT), and serves as co-Associate Director for Biodefense there. Dr. Borenstein also serves on the Steering Committee of the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Technology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also the Principal Investigator for the microfabrication component of the Vascularized Tissue Engineering for Vital Organs project at CIMIT, working with Principal Investigator Joseph P. Vacanti. Dr. Borenstein has a Ph.D. in Physics and 20 years of experience in microsystems technology and biomedical devices. Dr. Borenstein’s current work is focused on the application of microsystems technologies towards pathogen detection, drug delivery and cell-based devices and systems.