Elisseeff Lab

President’s Circle of the National Academies

JElisseeff — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 21:31:31 +0000

In May 2012 Dr. Elisseeff attended the President’s Circle at the National Academy in DC, a stimulating event with speakers discussing topics ranging from energy, nuclear, design, and STEM education.

Jay Walker entertains during a small group discussion. Photo courtesy Christopher Michel.

Promotion Lecture and Reception

JElisseeff — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:22:57 +0000

Reminiscing about the past 15 years of research and thanks to students, colleagues, mentors, and collaborators. Watch the video at: http://webcast.jhu.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=4568f5289c7b4921a934d303d8dd637c1

2011 Provosts Lecture Series: Jennifer H. Elisseeff, Phd at Johns Hopkins University

JElisseeff — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:19:46 +0000

Dr. Jennifer Elisseeff, Associate Professor, Jules Stein Chair in Ophthalmology Wilmer Eye Institute, Director of Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Materials Science and Engineering will discuss the materials in Medicine: From Tools to Translational Tissue Engineering from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm on November 21 in Feinstone Hall, E2030 (BSPH). Q & A and reception immediately following. RSVP:ProvostRSVP@jhu.eduThe Provosts Lecture Series, launched in 2010 to spread the wealth of academic excellence at Johns Hopkins among its campuses. The theme of this years lecture series will be innovation, highlighting the unique role of research universities in fostering innovative thinking and creative solutions to some of the worlds greatest challenges.

Watch the lecture:

New composite material may restore damaged soft tissue

admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:44:05 +0000

Potential uses include facial reconstruction for soldiers’ blast injuries

Biomedical engineers at Johns Hopkins have developed a new liquid material that in early experiments in rats and humans shows promise inrestoring damaged soft tissue relatively safely and durably. The material, a composite of biological and synthetic molecules, is injected under the skin, then “set” using light to form a more solid structure, like using cold to set gelatin in a mold. The researchers say the product one day could be used to reconstruct soldiers’ faces marred by blast injuries.

The Johns Hopkins researchers caution that the material, described in a report in the July 27 issue of Science Translational Medicine, is “promising,” but not yet ready for widespread clinical use.

“Implanted biological materials can mimic the texture of soft tissue, but are usually broken down by the body too fast, while synthetic materials tend to be more permanent but can be rejected by the immune system and typically don’t meld well with surrounding natural tissue,” says Jennifer Elisseeff, Ph.D., Jules Stein Professor of Ophthalmology and director of the Translational Tissue Engineering Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Our composite material has the best of both worlds, with the biological component enhancing compatibility with the body and the synthetic component contributing to durability.”

The researchers created their composite material from hyaluronic acid (HA), a natural component in skin of young people that confers elasticity, and polyethylene glycol (PEG), a synthetic molecule used successfully as surgical glue in operations and known not to cause severe immune reactions.

The PEG can be “cross-linked”or made to form sturdy chemical bonds between many individual moleculesusing energy from light, which traps the HA molecules with it. Such cross-linking makes the implant hold its shape and not ooze away from the injection site, Elisseeff says.

To develop the best PEG-HA composite with the highest long-term stability, the researchers injected different concentrations of PEG and HA under the skin and into the back muscle of rats, shone a green LED light on them to “gel” the material, and used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor the persistence of the implant over time. The implants were examined at 47 and 110 days with MRIs and removed. Direct measurements and MRIs of the implants showed that the ones created from HA and the highest tested concentration of PEG with HA stayed put and were the same size over time compared to injections of only HA, which shrank over time.

The researchers evaluated the safety and persistence of the PEG-HA implants with a 12-week experiment in three volunteers already undergoing abdominoplasty, or “tummy tucks.” Technicians injected about five drops of PEG-HA or HA alone under the belly skin. None of the participants experienced hospitalization, disability or death directly related to the implant, which was about 8 mm longor about as wide as a pinky fingernail. However, the participants said they sensed heat and pain during the gel setting process. Twelve-weeks after implantation, MRI revealed no loss of implant size in patients. Removal of the implants and inspection of the surrounding tissue revealed mild to moderate inflammation due to the presence of certain types of white blood cells. The researchers said the same inflammatory response was seen in rats, although the types of white blood cells responding to implant differed between the rodents and humans, a difference the researchers attribute to the back muscles the target tissue in the ratsbeing different than human belly fat.

“We still have to evaluate the persistence and safety of our material in other types of human tissues, like muscle or less fatty regions under the skin of the face, so we can optimize it for specific procedures,” says Elisseeff.

Elisseeff said the team has especially high hopes for the composite’s use in people with facial deformities, who endure social and psychological trauma. When rebuilding soft tissue, recreating natural shape often requires multiple surgeries and can result in scarring. “Many of the skin fillers available on the market consisting of HA-like materials used for face lifts are only temporarily effective, and are limited in their ability to resculpt entire areas of the face. Our hope is to develop a more effective product for people, like our war veterans, who need extensive facial reconstruction. ”

Other researchers involved in the study are Alexander Hillel, Shimon Unterman, Branden Reid, Jeannine Coburn, Joyce Axelman, Jemin Chae, Qiongyu Guo, Zhipeng Hou, Susumu Mori and Janis Taube also of Johns Hopkins University; Zayna Nahas of Stanford University; Robert Trow and Andrew Thomas of Energist North America; and Serge Lichtsteiner, Damon Sutton, Christine Matheson, Patricia Walker and Nathaniel David of Kythera Biopharmaceuticals.

The research was supported by a grant from Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, which develops cosmetic pharmaceutical products.

Related Media Links:

New Composite Material May Restore Damaged Soft Tissue with Jennifer Elisseeff was featured inUSA Today blog Science Fairhttp://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/07/study-light-therapy-molds-better-facial-implants/1; MSNBC–The Body Oddhttp://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/27/7180567-new-filler-uses-light-to-boost-skins-beauty ; Nature Newshttp://www.nature.com/news/2011/110727/full/news.2011.444.html; Popular Sciencehttp://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-07/new-injectable-biomaterial-replaces-soft-facial-tissues-letting-doctors-shape-and-set-implants-light ; Chemistry Worldhttp://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/July/28071102.asp ; Fast Companyhttp://www.fastcompany.com/1769723/injectable-biomaterial-enables-fine-injury-fixes-maybe-extreme-body-mods ; Gizmodo http://gizmodo.com/5825536/new-liquid-biomaterial-can-rebuild-faces-without-surgery; Technology Review (MIT)http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/38150/?mod=chfeatured; Industrie & Technologies http://www.industrie.com/it/materiaux/des-implants-liquides-qui-durcissent-a-la-lumiere.11781; Technology Review http://www.heise.de/tr/artikel/Modellierung-im-Gesicht-1287719.html; The Conversation http://theconversation.edu.au/plastic-surgery-implant-firms-when-exposed-to-light-2587

Interview with Jennifer Elisseeff

admin — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 22:19:31 +0000

Jennifer Elisseeff, the director of the new Translational Tissue Engineering Center, is a biomedical engineer who holds an endowed chair in the Department of Ophthalmology, where she is helping to develop an artificial cornea. Tissue engineering, she says, is taking place at the juncture of several scientific disciplines.

What’s been the history of tissue engineering—how far have labs and companies gotten in producing therapeutic applications?

ELISSEEFF: In the early 1990s, there was a lot of growth. There was talk of making an ear, a heart in a dish. But it fizzled. A lot of companies went under.

Why?

ELISSEEFF: A biomedical engineer at Brown University named Michael Lysaght (who recently died) had a theory that the private sector boardrooms were making decisions about science that they didn’t quite understand. And the challenges of manufacturing were not appreciated. A lot of medical manufacturing to that point involved making devices. But in tissue engineering you need a scaffold and you need to work with cells, to know what’s a good cell and what’s a bad cell [for your product.]

What will the Johns Hopkins center do differently?

ELISSEEFF: Our outstanding feature is the strong clinical environment. Our approach is heavily influenced by working with clinicians. It gives you a better perspective on what’s needed.

Elsewhere, there is a lot of excitement, too, led by efforts sponsored by the military and NIH. For instance, the military is developing a method to “print” skin using a device like a desktop printer for helping soldiers burned in combat.

What training helped prepare you for the task of engineering an artificial cornea and other tissues?

ELISSEEFF: As an undergrad at Carnegie Mellon, I was interested in science but also in medicine. I started doing materials research. I worked with an organic chemistry professor doing basic polymer chemistry research.

In grad school I continued in materials research, helping to develop a hydrogel, a jelly-like polymer that can be used to encapsulate and grow cells in 3-D.

Then as a postdoc at NIH, I learned a lot of basic fundamental biology. I did research in a lab that was studying cartilage development.

In tissue engineering, I use all of the skills and knowledge I’ve acquired in each of these different disciplines.

–Interviewed by Melissa Hendricks

Jennifer Elisseeff on using biomaterials to develop therapies:

Related Links:

Stem Cell Research at Johns Hopkins

Elisseeff lab move

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:56:40 +0000

Our lab moved to the Robert H. and Clarice Smith Building of the Wilmer Eye Institute! We look forward to seeing you at our new location.

View Larger Map