Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2010

Mentor: Spencer Brown, PhD
Department: Plastic Surgery - Research Department
Room number: WA04.415
Mail Code: 9132
Phone number: 214-645-3144
E-mail: Spencer.Brown@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title I: Effectiveness of Human Adipose-Derived Therapies on Surgical Wound Healing and Radiation

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): Pending

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 2008-0410

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects) Animal-based.

Brief Description of Project:

This request is to extend the ongoing examining the effectiveness of human adipose-derived therapies on surgical wound healing and radiation in an athymic rat model. This project will examine the role of stem cells in radiation wounds; especially the dose of stem and stem cell preparation required for optimal clinical efficacy. Human adipocyte stem cells will be labeled and surgically introduced into the radiated wounds. Subsequent homing of the cells and thier potential role in differentiating into endothelial cell or non-differentiating and playing a paracrine role will be examined. Working with the Radiology Department, athymic rats will irradiate under standard conditions and wounds will receive stem cells that been prepared in three (3) different methods and introduced with and without fat grafts. The student will learn animal surgery, radiation techniques, histological and immunohistological techniques. Cell labeling methods and statistical handling of the data.

Project II title: Tissue Engineered Based Filler Product

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): APN #2009-0066

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects) Animal-based.

Brief Description of Project:

This request is to extend the ongoing examining the effectiveness of human adipose-derived scaffold therapies for the development of a tissue engineered based filler product. This study is designed to seed autologous preadipocytes or stromal vascular fraction cells in a 3D collagen - glycosaminoglycan - chitosan scaffold; i.e, hypodermis. After an in-vitro validation, the 3D hypodermis model will be implanted into non immunodeficient pigs. Human adipocyte stem cells will be labeled and surgically introduced into scaffolds that will be introduced into the dermal compartment of adult porcine.. Subsequent homing of the cells and thier potential role in differentiating into endothelial cell or non-differentiating and playing a paracrine role will be examined. The student will learn animal surgery, radiation techniques, histological and immunohistological techniques. Cell labeling methods and statistical handling of the data.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

10 Years with at least one or two students per year.