Nano- and microfibers for tunable drug delivery and tissue engineering

Postmenopausal women experience osteoarthritis (OA) at a higher rate than age-matched men suggesting estrogen deficiency may play a role in the pathogenesis. Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen delivered systemically is the current standard of care but often increases the risk for breast cancer. Thus, targeted release of an estrogen receptor (ER) agonist is hypothesized to promote anabolic effects and reduce detrimental side effects. To address this hypothesis, Dr. Robinson’s group seeks to develop porous fibrous meshes that mimic the fiber structure of native extracellular matrix. By engineering these materials to controllably release ER agonists, they will promote regeneration and provide relief to patients with OA.

Students will create use electrospinning emulsion solutions to create fibrous meshes, and then assess fiber morphology, alignment, and pore architecture. Further, students will determine the release kinetics of a model protein as a function of pore size and interconnectivity.