Posted June 11, 2012
Dr. Deanna Thompson, with collaborators Drs. Lee Ligon (Biology Department) and Shep Salon (Department of Electrical, Computer, & Systems Engineering), has been awarded a 4-year $1.41 million R01 grant from NIH/NIBIB titled, "Directed Formation of Enhanced 3 - dimensional oriented Schwann Cellular Arrays For the Repair of Large - Gap Peripheral Nerve Injuries." Schwann cell (SC) participation is key participant supporting re-growth following peripheral nerve injury. The goal of this work is to utilize electrical stimulation to control SC alignment and enhance SC phenotype and identify the mechanistic basis for these electrically-induced changes. These aligned SC’s serve to 1) promote and 2) direct robust neurite outgrowth. Mechanistic understanding of electrically-mediated changes will aid in the rational presentation of electric stimulation relevant to Neuroscience and Tissue Engineering.