[MOS] December 6, 2011

[Zina M Queen]

Modern Optics and Spectroscopy


Dynamic monitoring of engineered tissue development using non-linear spectroscopic imaging
Irene Georgakoudi,
Tufts University

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.


Development of functional engineered tissues has the potential to improve significantly current approaches aimed at repairing or replacing damaged tissues and organs. In addition, engineered tissues could serve as highly relevant and useful models for disease and for screening novel drugs and therapies. Methods to assess the development and function of these tissues are traditionally limited by their invasive and destructive nature. Our recent work demonstrates that optical spectroscopic imaging approaches can overcome these limitations and provide functional biochemical and organizational/structural information about tissues. We specifically aim to identify optical biomarkers associated with adipose and bone engineered tissue development and early cancer development using non-linear spectroscopic imaging methods that rely on endogenous fluorescence and scattering. Intrinsic two photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) has been used as the main platform to characterize tissue structure and function. Acquisition of emission spectra at multiple excitation wavelengths reveals that key aspects of the composition and organization of silk biomaterial scaffolds can be assessed using TPEF and second harmonic generation (SHG). Similar spectroscopic images also demonstrate that important biochemical and morphological parameters associated with stem cell differentiation can be extracted in two and three-dimensional cultures. Measurements performed on the same scaffolds over a period of six months illustrate that significant dynamic biochemical changes can be monitored to extract important insights in metabolic biochemical pathways. Biochemical and subtle, microscale organizational differences can also be detected as a function of depth within engineered normal and pre-cancerous epithelial tissues. Such non-invasive biomarkers could be ultimately used to develop improved diagnostics and to assess functional tissue development either in response to different stimuli or as quality controls prior to implantation.

Grier Room, MIT Bldg 34-401
Refreshments served after the lecture
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