The goal of tissue engineering is the growth of functional replacement tissues for those lost to damage or disease. Often this involves the placement of non-terminally differentiated cells, such as human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) onto a biomaterial scaffold and into an environment that supports growth and provides appropriate stimuli for functional tissue outcomes. The development of these tissues is a complex process in which there is a need for non-invasive monitoring technologies. I will present the results of studies undertaken to apply non-linear optical methods, specifically two photon excitation of fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation(SHG), for characterizing the cellular, extracellular and biomaterial components of engineered tissues. I will show that TPEF and SHG are sensitive to silk fibroin protein folding and provide sufficient contrast for high quality morphological images. TPEF imaging of hMSC can be used to visualize cell proliferation, morphology, and monitor cellular biochemical status including changes in metabolic activity and the accumulation of lipofuscin, a marker of oxidative stress. SHG can be used to monitor the time dependent deposition, orientation and remodeling of fibrous collagens. Overall, non-linear optical microscopy techniques prove to be powerful tools that satisfy many of the monitoring needs in tissue engineering.


Seminar, September 2, 2011, 12:00. Seminar Room

Hosted by Prof. Pablo Loza