"Harnessing the Immune System for Advancements in BiomaterialsBased Tissue Engineering"

This event is sponsored by FAMU-FSU Engineering Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering.

Abstract: A wide range of traumatic events, such as automobile accidents, blast injuries caused by explosive devices or the surgical resection of cancerous tumors, can result in large, non-healing volumetric defects in vascularized tissue. While the mechanisms underlying tissue loss differ between these scenarios, they are characterized by significant inflammatory responses. In traumatic injuries, tissue damage generates an abundance of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) derived from the extracellular matrix (ECM) and damaged cells. While these DAMPs typically initiate the wound-healing process, in the case of trauma they trigger hyperinflammation, hindering recovery. Current tissue engineering strategies for wound healing often rely on the delivery of large quantities of mitogenic or anabolic growth factors. However, these approaches can lead to adverse side effects for patients. Additionally, our past work has demonstrated that variations in immune responses in vivo can lead to significantly different tissue engineering outcomes, regardless of the treatments being identical. These findings demonstrate the central role of the inflammatory response in the healing of vascularized tissues and have motivated our efforts to leverage the immune response to develop immunomodulatory materials to enhance tissue regeneration outcomes.

Dr. Alisa Isaac

NIH SABER IRACDA Postdoctoral Scholar

Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Speaker Bio: Alisa Isaac is an NIH IRACDA postdoctoral scholar at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and UT Health San Antonio. She earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University, where her novel research focused on the impact of the anti-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) response on the efficacy of PEG based biomaterials in tissue engineering, published in Nature Communications. She also holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from UTSA, where she began her research at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research. Dr. Isaac’s expertise lies in engineering immunomodulatory biomaterials for tissue regeneration, particularly for bone defects and critical injury recovery. Her pioneering research investigates how extracellular matrix-based cues target the immune system to enhance regenerative strategies. Currently, she is leading innovative projects on laryngeal injury repair and critical sized bone defect regeneration through funding by competitive grants, including the UT System Trauma Research and Combat Casualty Care Collaborative. She has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Cells Tissues Organs Young Investigator Award, Postdoctoral Fellow of the Year awards, and recognition as a Rising Star in Engineering in Health by Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, and Columbia University. Beyond her research, Dr. Isaac is deeply committed to mentorship and education. She has developed and taught biomedical engineering courses, consistently earning outstanding teaching evaluations. She also contributes actively to outreach and professional development initiatives, promoting variety and engagement in STEM fields.