Bioengineering and Stem Cells in Articular Cartilage Regeneration

Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Lecturer Series sponsored by Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth

Speaker: Chair and Distinguished Professor Kyriacos A. Athansiou, Ph.D.

UC Davis

Host: Assistant Professor Elliot L. Botvinick, Ph.D.

Abstract:

Articular cartilage is arguably the tissue most pivotal for motion and overall function.  This soft, white tissue that covers the ends of our long bones cannot heal by itself.  Indeed, articular cartilage is notorious for its degenerative progression to osteoarthritis following an injury.  The demanding biomechanical milieu of a joint, plus cartilage’s relative lack of cells and blood supply, renders this tissue almost unique in its inability to repair adequately.  This presentation will describe our group's efforts toward helping joint cartilages, such as hyaline tissue, knee meniscus, and the TMJ disc, repair themselves via tissue engineering approaches.   Central to our efforts is the understanding the biomechanical relationships at multiple dimensional levels.  Also shown will be some of our latest results using various stem cell sources that indicate that cartilage regeneration is inexorably becoming a tractable problem.

Bio:

Kyriacos A. Athanasiou, is a Distinguished Professor and the Chair of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California Davis.  He has published 225 peer-reviewed papers, four authored books, and 28 patents.  He has also served as president of the Biomedical Engineering Society.  In addition to his academic interests, he has co-founded numerous bioengineering companies which have collectively brought to the market 15 FDA-approved products.