BME Seminar Series - Ariella Shikanov, PhD, University of Michigan
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 10am to 11am
About this Event
1120 NW 14th St, Miami, FL 33136
Premature ovarian insufficiency and infertility are irreversible and significant side effects of radiation and chemotherapies that impact the quality of life of young cancer survivors. Restoration of reproductive function is uniquely challenging because women are born with a non-renewable reserve of ovarian follicles, the functional unit of the ovary each containing a single oocyte and hormone producing somatic cells. Clinically available fertility preservation options to restore the lost ovarian endocrine function are limited, especially for children and young adults. We aim to create biomimetic constructs that direct tissue regeneration and restore biological function by combining approaches from engineering, materials, chemistry and life sciences. To achieve this, we designed biomaterial based matrices that support the development of ovarian follicles cultured in vitro or transplanted in vivo. For the in vitro follicle culture, we developed a degradable hydrogel that promotes deposition and sequestration of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules secreted from the cultured follicles and cells. The ECM-sequestering peptides incorporated in the hydrogel acted as a scaffold for ECM deposition mimicking the fibrous structure of native ECM. Towards restoration of ovarian endocrine function in adolescent pediatric cancer survivors we developed the first generation of a hydrogel based immuno-isolating capsule that supported survival and function of murine allografts in immune competent hosts. Further, human ovarian tissue encapsulated and implanted in ovariectomized NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice responded to circulating follicle stimulating hormone and secreted ovarian hormones in a physiological process of follicle maturation. In conclusion, we demonstrated that biomimetic hydrogels can support the development of ovarian follicles cultured in vitro or transplanted in vivo.
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