Rising Star Presentation: Dr. Megan L. McCain

Engineering Muscular Microtissues to Model Human Development and Disease

ABSTRACT

The function of all human tissues is dependent on the coordination of molecular components within cells, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and tissue responses to physical forces. Disruptions in one or more of these factors can manifest as disease. Thus, a systematic understanding of tissue-level phenomena is crucial for understanding human development and the progression of many human diseases. To address this need, my research group develops integrated technologies to systematically control cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, tune the physical microenvironment with spatiotemporal control, and efficiently measure tissue function, with a focus on muscular tissues. In this talk, I will describe how we use these approaches to: (1) model the myocardial infarct border zone with a microfluidic oxygen gradient; (2) engineer multi-lineage muscle tissues with spatial control using synthetic cell receptors; and (3) develop myometrial tissues to model uterine contractility. These engineered microtissue models enable new insights into human development and disease and can serve as medium-throughput testbeds for developing new therapies.