(89g) A Simple Biomaterial for Diverse Tissue Engineering Applications (Invited Speaker)

In this talk, I will trace through a series of studies demonstrating the potential of a simple biomaterial – gelatin functionalized with a short peptide epitope – for diverse tissue engineering applications, both by itself and in combination with stem cell-derived products. I will present in vitro data showing enhanced survival and accelerated maturation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived progenies in these functionalized gelatin hydrogels. I will also describe variations of these hydrogels that promote profound vascular growth from ex vivo tissue and in vivo after implantation. Hence, I will lay out a modular framework for using this biomaterial to promote endogenous tissue repair, exogenous regeneration, and combinations of both events depending on the desired application and disease being treated.