Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering

Press Releases

Polymer with Neurotransmitter Promotes Nerve Growth
Strategy encourages regeneration of damaged central nervous system cells

December 11, 2007 — Georgia Tech researchers reported a potential strategy for encouraging the regeneration of damaged central nervous system cells known as neurons. The technique would use a biodegradable polymer containing a chemical group that mimics the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to spur the growth of neurites, which are projections that form the connections among neurons and between neurons and other cells. The biomimetic polymers would then guide the growth of the regenerating nerve.

Dopamine Used to Prompt Nerve Tissue to Regrow

November 2, 2006 — When Yadong Wang, a chemist by training, first ventured into nerve regeneration two years ago, he didn't know that his peers would have considered him crazy. His idea was simple: Because neural circuits use electrical signals often conducted by neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) to communicate between the brain and the rest of the body, he could build neurotransmitters into the material used to repair a broken circuit. The neurotransmitters could coax the neurons in the damaged nerves to regrow and reconnect with their target organ.

Imaging Technique Shows Promise in Osteoarthritis

December 5, 2006 — An innovative combination of existing technologies shows promise for noninvasive, high-resolution imaging of cartilage in research on the progression and treatment of the common degenerative disease osteoarthritis. Microcomputed tomography (microCT) — which yields three-dimensional X-ray images with a resolution 100 times higher than clinical CT scans — is commonly used to image bone for osteoporosis research but is now useful for imaging soft biological tissues such as cartilage.

Georgia Tech/Emory Center (GTEC) for the Engineering of Living Tissues

The Georgia Tech/Emory Center (GTEC) for the Engineering of Living Tissues is headquartered in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, with strong interactions with Emory University School of Medicine. Established in 1998 by the National Science Foundation as an Engineering Research Center, GTEC's mission is to be the leader in the development of critical core technologies and an educated workforce that will enable the development of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and revolutionize the medical implant industry.

GTEC is developing tissue engineering technologies and regenerative medicine approaches through an integrated systems approach, harnessing discoveries from recent biological and engineering advances to significantly improve clinical therapies. Focus areas of research are in cardiovascular systems, bioartificial pancreas, orthopaedic tissues, and neural repair and regeneration. Associated projects in biomaterials development, cell sources and cellular engineering, stem cells, cryopreservation of cells and tissues, modulation of immune responses, bioreactor system development, biomechanics of cells and tissues, flow dynamics in cardiovascular tissues.

Dr. Robert M. Nerem
Director, Georgia Tech/Emory Center (GTEC) for the Engineering of Living Tissues
Phone: 404-894-2768
Email | Website

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Industry Liaison for the Georgia Tech/Emory Center (GTEC) for the Engineering of Living Tissues, Katharine Montgomery, Email, 404-385-2105