Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering
Dr. Elizabeth Lipke in the Department of Chemical Engineering performs research on injectable cell-material composite systems for myocardial regeneration following infarct and on formation of engineered heart tissue for use in repairing cardiac defects. As this research progresses, access to MRI capabilities will significantly improve our ability to monitor the in vivo success of these materials for treating myocardial infarcts and in restoring normal contraction to the heart. Animal models for these studies could initially include the rat and mouse, but would eventually require the use of a porcine model. To evaluate the outcome of these treatments, MRI could be used to obtain high resolution, three-dimensional and four-dimensional assessments of cardiac function, including examining contractile function within the myocardium at circumferential segments and within epicardial, mid-wall and endocardial layers of the heart wall. Also, by allowing for serially obtained images that are highly reproducible and relatively operator-independent, MRI facilitates making comparisons over time in the same animal.
