###In vivo imaging of therapeutic biomaterials
Project ID: 2228bd1001 (You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Advanced Materials
UCL Lead department: Division of Medicine
Lead Supervisor: daniel stuckey
Project Summary:
Importance: Advanced tissue engineered products can permit controlled delivery of nanoparticles and pharmaceutical agents to target organ, enhancing therapeutic potential and reducing off-target toxicity.
The Research: We are developing injectable and implantable composite hydrogels containing nanoparticles laden with therapeutic agents. These can be delivered to the damaged heart in a minimally invasive fashion under ultrasound guidance. In this project you will utilise advanced imaging technologies, including MRI, PET, CT and ultrasound, to visualise the delivered biomaterial and its interaction with the heart in vivo. In this project we will synthesise and incorporate plasmonic nanoparticles loaded with angiogenic factors into iPS cell encapsulating alginate hydrogels and deliver them to the infarcted heart to stimulate regeneration. Material retention on target will be measured using in vivo photoacoustic imaging of the nanoparticles and effects on cardiac function will be quantified using ultrasound, allowing optimisation of biomaterial formulation and pharmaceutical dose.
This project will introduce you to the range of techniques we are utilising to enhance this advanced therapeutic device and allow you to experiment with biomaterial and nanoparticle synthesis, stem cell culture, in vitro and in vivo efficacy testing, advanced imaging and histological validation.
Who you’ll be working with: You will become part of our large team of translational bioengineers and bioimaging scientists including Dr Stuckey’s Cardiovascular Imaging and Regeneration team and Prof Knowles’ Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering group as well as inclusion in the British Heart Foundation’s UK-wide BHF Centre for Regenerative Medicine, whose focus is developing the next generation of advanced therapeutics.