(654c) Application of Engineering Tools to Instruct the Regenerative Potential of Cellular Spheroids

Cell therapy provides a versatile and personalized option to address tissue damage due to trauma, inefficient wound repair, degenerative diseases, and cancer. Current cell therapies commonly seek to stimulate tissue regeneration or replace systemic or local deficiencies in cell number or cell function. Cells are generally transplanted as individual, monodispersed cells within a suspension, most commonly by local injection. This strategy has translated to limited success due to rapid cell death upon delivery to the harsh microenvironment, insufficient retention at the site, or even damage due to shear forces associated with injection, shortening their intended effects to a few days. To increase the therapeutic potential of cell-based therapies, we and others have studied the utility of spheroids, which are dense, cellular structures formed into aggregates. However, there remains a tremendous need to develop and apply effective methods for regulating the behavior of cells within spheroids. As synthesis and instruction of spheroids becomes more precise and efficient, their clinical use will emerge as an effective treatment option for regeneration, wound healing, and individualized disease modeling. In this presentation, I will highlight recent and ongoing efforts in our laboratory to utilize engineering tools such as statistical optimization, natural and synthetic biomaterials, and in vitro and in vivo models to regulate and interrogate cell behavior within spheroids.