Grant: Undergraduate: Summer Studentship Award - Institute Community Support

Chronic wounds are common complications to disease and are characterized by impaired progression of healing and thus by continued inflammation and infection. Because of the length and difficulty of recovery, chronic wounds cause immense economic and social impact. Numerous wound care technologies exist, but few are effective. Current research examines the use of stem cells in wound healing. The stem cells used in this proposal will be adipose-derived stem cells which are isolated from adipose tissue. This presents an attractive source of stem cells because it is abundant and accessible in adults. The goal of this project is to study the viability of stem cells in a liquid skin substitute that can cast in and fully fill wound beds and in skin matrix, often used for post-surgery surface wound healing. We will characterize cells by stem cell markers, test their viability in 2D and 3D media, and examine their functional effect on wound healing in a mouse model. The results from this proposal will help in understanding how stem cells, in conjunction with bioengineered media for cell delivery, can be used to improve wound healing.