Design biologically inspired nanomaterials and 3D bioprinting for complex tissue regeneration

Research

Dr. Lijie Grace Zhang and co-workers developed a comprehensive design of engineered vascularized bone construct, integrating biomimetic 3D printed fluid perfused microstructure with a biologically inspired smart growth factor nano release system (colored fibers). The design provides great potential for complex tissue/organ regeneration by delivering multiple growth factors (small spheres), in a highly coordinated manner based on appropriate time, location and biological signal.

Facilities

Prof. Zhang directs the Bioengineering Lab for Nanomedicine and Tissue Engineering at the George Washington University, which is located in the third floor of the Science and Engineering Hall (SEH). Her lab is well equipped with a full set of cell and tissue culture facilities, a series of 3D nano/micro tissue scaffold fabrication equipments, nanomaterial synthesis and characterization.

 

Funding

• NSF BME, L. Zhang (PI), “Integrating 3D Bioprinting and Biologically Inspired Nanomaterials for Cartilage Regeneration”
• NIH New Innovator Award 1DP2EB020549-01, L. Zhang (PI). “A Novel 3D Bioprinted Smart Vascularized Nano Tissue”

 

Publications

• H. Cui, W. Zhu, M. Nowicki, X. Zhou, A. Khademhosseini and L. Zhang. Hierarchical Fabrication of Engineered Vascularized Bone Biphasic Constructs via Dual 3D Bioprinting: Integrating Regional Bioactive Factors into Architectural Design, Advanced Healthcare Materials, doi: 10.1002/adhm.201600505 (2016).
• N.J. Castro, J. O’Brien and L. Zhang. Integrating Biologically Inspired Nanomaterials and Table-top Stereolithography for 3D Printed Biomimetic Osteochondral Scaffolds, Nanoscale, 7:14010-14022 (2015)
• H. Cui, W. Zhu, B. Holmes, and L. Zhang. Biologically Inspired Smart Release System
• Based on 3D Bioprinted Perfused Scaffold for Vascularized Tissue Regeneration, Advanced Science, DOI: 10.1002/advs.201600058 (2016).
• B. Holmes, K. Bulusu, M. Plesniak and L. Zhang. A synergistic approach to the design, fabrication and evaluation of 3D printed micro and nano featured scaffolds for vascularized bone tissue repair, Nanotechnology, 27 (6): 064001 (2016)
• N. J. Castro, R. Patel, and L. Zhang. Design of a Novel 3D Printed Bioactive Nanocomposite Scaffold for Improved Osteochondral Regeneration, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, 8(3): 416-432 (2015)
• B. Holmes, W. Zhu, J. Li, J. D. Lee and L. Zhang. Development of Novel 3D Printed Scaffolds for Osteochondral Regeneration, Tissue Engineering Part A, 21(1-2): 403-415 (2015).