Dr. Mike Modo,
Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh
The brain is considered to only have a limited capacity to repair damaged tissue and entirely lack the potential to regenerate lost tissue. Tissue lost after a stroke is therefore not spontaneously replaced and create a cystic cavity filled with extracellular fluid. To repair tissue damage in the peri-infarct area, we are pursuing the use of fetal-derived human neural stem cells for implantation to enhance the ongoing endogenous repair process. Although this approach has found its clinical translation, the procedure still requires optimization to ensure an appropriate delivery of cells into different tissue microenvironment. Enhancing cell survival and integration using instructive biomaterials and rehabilitation strategies are investigate to inform future clinical trials and ensure therapeutic efficacy. However, this approach does not lead to a regeneration of tissue inside the stroke cavity. To promote the invasion of endogenous brain cells into this tissue void, we are therefore investigating the implantation of inductive bioscaffolds formed out of extracellular matrix. These hydrogels attract host cells and can be efficient degraded while bridging the tissue gap. We therefore propose that this approach can induce regeneration of brain tissue in the stroke cavity. It is hope that these regenerative medicine approach will provide new therapeutic horizons for patients with stroke.
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Mike Modo, a Luxembourg-native, graduated in Psychology from Royal Holloway University of London (1997), UK, and spend 1 year as an undergraduate at the Psychology Department at McGill University (1995-1996) in Montreal, Canada. He then furthered his interests in the neural correlates underlying behavioral functions during an M.Sc. in Neuroscience (1998) at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, where he also continued his research efforts leading to a PhD in Neurosciences (2001). The main interest of Dr Modo’s research lies in the restorative neurobiology following brain damage, predominantly focused on stroke, but also in Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. An interdisciplinary approach is espoused that involves the use of pharmacological agents, stem cells, as well as biomaterials. A special focus lies on the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods that allow us to guide and monitor in situ tissue engineering. Our ultimate aim is to restore a functional tissue in the brain that can support behavioral recovery.
Hosted by Dr. Molly Shoichet
Snacks and Refreshments will be served