Project Description:

The use of subcutaneous injection for biotherapeutic proteins is an area of increasing interest for pharmaceutical companies. However, there is a need for benchtop assays that quickly screen drugs to understand their potential bioavailability. We have developed a high throughput platform to investigate the transport of biomacromolecules within subcutaneous tissue. In particular, we have examined key biomaterial properties that affect mass flux of biomacromolecules. Current work includes defining the effect of different extracellular matrix molecules on transport and encapsulating tissue-specific cells within the in vitro tissue to define cell-drug interactions that affect biotransport. Future work includes expanding the assay to include aspects of personalized medicine by delineating the contribution of specific donor characteristics (e.g., age, sex, inflammatory state). Overall, this work will add to the arsenal of tools for preclinical drug screening of life-saving medicines.

Start Date:

June 1, 2023

Postdoc Qualifications:

*Highly motivated and independent researcher
*Excellent written and oral communication skills
*Strong publication record
*Eager to join interdisciplinary team that touches on topics in chemical engineering, materials science, and biomedical engineering

Co-Advisors:

Julie Liu, julieliu@purdue.edu, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, https://engineering.purdue.edu/LiuGroup

Luis Solorio, lsolorio@purdue.edu, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, https://soloriolab.wixsite.com/tmet?_ga=2.18586361.1513187059.1625151713-956620504.1620310884

Bibliography:

Fibronectin-expressing mesenchymal tumor cells promote breast cancer metastasis
BH Jun, T Guo, S Libring, MK Chanda, JS Paez, A Shinde, MK Wendt, P Vlachos, L Solorio
Cancers 12 (9), 2553

High‐Throughput Magnetic Actuation Platform for Evaluating the Effect of Mechanical Force on 3D Tumor Microenvironment
Á Enríquez, S Libring, TC Field, J Jimenez, T Lee, H Park, D Satoski, MK Wendt, S Calve, A Buganza Tepole, L Solorio, H Lee
Advanced Functional Materials 31 (1), 2005021

N. Vázquez-Portalatín†, C.E. Kilmer†, A. Panitch, and J.C. Liu, “Characterization of Collagen Type I and II Blended Hydrogels for Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering,” Biomacromolecules, 17, 3145-3152 (2016). †These authors contributed equally.

C.E. Kilmer, C.M. Battistoni, A. Cox, G.J. Breur, A. Panitch, and J.C. Liu, “Collagen Type I and II Blend Hydrogel with Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Scaffold for Articular Cartilage Defect Repair,” ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 6, 3464-3476 (2020).

Q. Xu, J.E. Torres, M. Hakim, P.M. Babiak, P. Pal, C.M. Battistoni, M. Nguyen, A. Panitch, L. Solorio, and J.C. Liu, “Collagen- and Hyaluronic Acid-based Hydrogels and their Biomedical Applications,” Materials Science & Engineering: R: Reports, 146, 100641 (2021).