Feng Zhao's Profile
- Member for:
11 years 10 months - Institution:
Michigan Technological University
Biography
Zhao's lab seeks to address the challenges associated with engineering completely biological cardiovascular tissues for regenerative medicine applications. We are developing innovative cell therapies using stem cell sheets to create 3D scaffold-free tissue constructs with the structural similarity, necessary mechanical characteristics, and sufficient immuno-compatibility to facilitate functional in vivo integration. We are also trying to recreate biomimetic microenvironment for 3D tissue development by precisely manipulating biomaterials, oxygen tension, and hydrodynamic culture conditions. The underlying mechanisms that regulate the tissue development are under ongoing investigation by the experimental replication of in vivo cell-cell and cell-environment interactions.
Feng's research projects
Coronary artery diseases result in over 500,000 heart bypass grafts each year in the United States, but more than one-fifth of these patients are not candidates for the procedure due to changes in their vascular system or previous use of veins for other procedures. We aim to provide a solution for patients in this critical—and life-threatening—situation.
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