MSCMP 3735 - EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX IN TISSUE BIOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Extracellular matrix (ECM) is a fundamental structural and signaling component of all tissues and plays a defining role in cellular and tissue responses to homeostatic cues, regeneration, inflammation, wound healing, and disease. Indeed, virtually every aspect of tissue biology and function is influenced by ECM composition, organization, and dynamics. The objective of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental biology of ECM, its role in tissue function, and its emerging applications in bioengineering and regenerative medicine. The course will begin with an overview of the structure, biosynthesis, and gene regulation of the major protein and glycosaminoglycan components of the ECM. This will be followed by lectures on ECM-cell interactions, with emphasis on integrin-mediated adhesion, intracellular signaling cascades, and allosteric protein interactions that transmit extracellular signals to intracellular targets regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, function, and cell-cell communication. Because TGF-ß is a central regulator of ECM synthesis and remodeling, a dedicated lecture will focus on ECM gene regulation and TGF-ß-dependent signaling pathways. Subsequent lectures will cover histologic and imaging techniques for visualization of ECM and will examine specific tissue models in which ECM remodeling defines biological outcomes. Liver regeneration will be used as a detailed example, highlighting early ECM remodeling, re-synthesis during regeneration, and the role of ECM signaling in regulation of liver size and termination of the regenerative response. Additional focused lectures will address ECM function in wound healing, central nervous system repair, and bone and cartilage biology. The role of ECM as a barrier and regulator of cancer invasion will be examined, along with the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which cells invade and remodel ECM during tumor progression, organogenesis, and embryonic tissue morphogenesis. The course will conclude with cellular and bioengineering approaches that leverage ECM for tissue reconstruction and modeling, including decellularized organs, hyaluronic acid-based biomaterials and signaling, ECM in vascular, joint, and muscle reconstruction, and the use of ECM in microphysiological systems (organ-on-chip platforms), three-dimensional culture systems, and 3D bioprinting technologies.
Academic Career: Graduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: Grad LG/SNC Basis
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