Rational Design of Bioactive Materials

One of the goals of biomaterials research is to produce materials which are able to interact in desirable ways with the biological tissues/substances with which they come into contact. Research in the Caplan lab focuses on using the mechanisms cells normally use to communicate with their surroundings to elicit these desirable interactions. A common method of cellular communication is through macromolecules found on the surface of cells known as receptors. The lab uses ligands for cell-surface receptors to provide bioactive interactions between materials and cells. Two major research thrusts are on-going in the lab. First, Multivalent Targeting seeks to use the over expression of receptors by pathologies as the means to deliver imaging or therapeutic molecules to the pathology in greater number than to other, non-target tissues. Similar theory and methodology is also useful in bio-terror detection. Second, Reverse-engineering the Basement Membrane seeks to control the behavior of endothelial cells attached to biomaterial surfaces so that they do not recruit inflammation or thrombosis.