Holland Regenerative Medicine

NewsletterCandidate Job SeminarJanuary 28, 11:00 a.m. | DRC I 1005 (All Welcome)

Zhe Wang, PhD Research Fellow National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering National Institutes of Health

Dr. Wang’s research looks at the application of molecular

engineering methods to generate polypeptides/proteins

for 1) nanomedicine, especially in cancer and regenerative

medicine and 2) molecular imaging of cellular functions and

metabolism. He also studies the integration of chemistry, biology, pharmaceutical science,

material science and nanotechnology to design, synthesize and characterize polymeric

biomaterials for diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. Additionally, Dr. Wang has

been looking at stem cells in relation to traumatic brain injury using animal models.

Visiting Regenerative Medicine Speaker:February 11, 1:30PM | DRC I 1004

Johannes (Jop) van Berlo, PhD Assistant Professor Cardiovascular Division Department of Medicine University of Minnesota, Lillehei Heart Institute

Dr. van Berlo’s lab studies the

mechanisms that drive cardiac

regeneration. The ultimate goal of his

research is to identify novel therapeutic

strategies to enhance cardiac regeneration

in patients. They mainly use animal models

to study cardiac regeneration and have

developed targeted mouse models to

perform genetic lineage tracing of cardiac

progenitor cells. Broadly, his lab has

two independent lines of research, one

aimed at studying the role of endogenous

cardiac progenitor cells and one aimed at

understanding cardiomyocyte proliferation.

Volume 1 | January 2016

Upcoming Research ForumsJanuary 27, 2016Brian Lindegaard Pedersen, MD, PhD

Consultant Surgeon, Vascular Surgery,

University of Copenhagen

February 17, 2016Shane Farritor, PhD

Professor, Mechanical and

Materials Engineering, UNL

Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. | DRC I 1004 Refreshments Provided

Collaboration MeetingsJanuary 29, 2016

Oral Bone Regeneration Project Meeting: Researchers will meet to discuss ongoing collaborative efforts funded by

the Regenerative Medicine Program in therapeutic development targeting

oral bone regeneration using a novel tooth extraction model. The objective

of the projects in this proposal is to understand the detailed mechanism(s)

involved in periodontal/oral bone loss and thus, regeneration.

For further information contact:

Debra Bergman, Clinical Study Coordinator, UNL

February 1, 2016

Official start date for Small Intestine Collaboration Project:Collaborators will begin formal meetings to discuss the Small Intestine Tissue

Engineering Project funded by the Regenerative Medicine Program as of January

2016. The objective of the projects in this proposal is to understand the mechanism

of small intestine regeneration and engineer functional small intestine tissues.

For further information contact:

Jingwei Xie, Assistant Professor, UNMC

February 19, 2016

Cartilage Collaboration Project Meeting: Researchers will be attending a retreat at UNMC to discuss

proposals for new cartilage collaboration projects.

For further information contact:

Nora Sarvetnick, Director of Regenerative Medicine, UNMC

January 2016 | 2

New InitiativesSOX2 Levels Determine the Quality of Pluripotent Stem Cells

PI: Angie Rizzino, Ph.D. Professor, Eppley Institute for

Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases

Regenerative Approaches for Glaucomatous Neuropathy

PI: Ahmad, Iqbal, Ph.D.

Small Intestine Tissue Engineering

PIs: Jingwei Xie, Mark Carlson, Bin Duan, Haitao Wen,

Andrew Dudley, Jennifer Black, Jenni Wang

Genetic Dissection of the Role of CBL-family

Ubiquitin Ligases in Muscle Atrophy

PIs: Vimla Band, PhD and Hamid Band, MD, PhD

Engineering Growth Plate Cartilage using Layered

Alginate Hydrogel 3-D Matrices

PIs: Andrew Dudley, UNMC and Angela K. Pannier, UNL

New Faculty

Holland Regenerative Medicine | 3

Dr. Huh has recently joined the regenerative medicine

program as a faculty member of the Munroe Meyer

Institute. Dr. Huh was previously a research instructor

at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also

completed his Postdoc in 2012. His studies focus on

identifying the molecular mechanisms that regulate

hair cell progenitor development and maintenance

in mammals using a mouse model system. This

research will provide a framework to understand how

a non-repairable organ develops and what pathways

might be used to therapeutically induce regeneration.

This is an important problem given that in humans 3

out of 1000 new-borns suffer from congenital hearing

loss and many more people develop sensorineural

hearing loss as a result of noise, antibiotics exposure,

and aging. Sensorineural hearing loss primarily results

from loss of sensory hair cells in the cochlea, which,

once damaged, cannot repair under physiological

conditions. The tools and discoveries Dr. Huh’s lab

will develop through the identifi cation of cochlear

progenitor growth and maintenance can be utilized

for the development of new reparative gene/

molecule/cell-based therapies. He believes that

selective reactivation of signaling pathways that

function during embryonic development will be an

effective means to promote repair and regeneration

of malformed or damaged organs such as the

cochlea and may also prevent pathological responses

that could further compromise organ function.

Sung-Ho Huh, PhD Assistant Professor Munroe-Meyer InstituteUNMC

Holland Regenerative Medicine Program Director Nora Sarvetnick was

the Keynote speaker at the JDRF Type One Nation summit discussing

her latest work with cell therapy, regenerative medicine

and how her work has progressed over the last 3 years. Dr. Sarvetnick

lead a Breakout Session at the summit which was held on January

23rd at Embassy Suites here in Omaha. The Breakout Session

provided the opportunity for families of patients with Type 1 Diabetes

to learn more about the Heartland Diabetes Project, which is run

by Dr. Sarvetnick. The project works with patients who have been

diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and their families in

order to learn more about the disease and work towards a cure.

The JDRF Type One Nation Summit is sponsored by Heartland

Diabetes Project Collaborator, Children’s Hospital and Medical Center.

New GrantsCongratulations to Drs. Sung-Ho Huh and Jingwei Xie on their recent grant awards. Dr. Huh was awarded an R00 and Xie has received funding from the Glebe Foundation.

Dr. Huh – R00

The goal of this proposed research is to identify roles of genes

called Fibroblast Growth Factor 9 and Fibroblast Growth Factor

20 (FGF9/20) during inner ear development. This knowledge is

necessary for future studies that will test whether reactivation of

FGF9/20 signaling in the adult inner ear can promote regeneration

of the sensory epithelium, cells responsible for hearing.

Dr. Xie – Glebe

This grant addresses the challenge of minimizing the risk of infections

associated with surgical sites or traumatic injuries. The research will

1) Establish effective encapsulation of vitamin D3 with additional

natural compounds in nanofi bers of different sizes, structures and

drug loadings by electrospinning and examine their release profi les

from these matrices. Also, this grant aims to establish effective gas-

foaming expansion of nanofi ber membranes in the third dimension

after electrospinning; 2) Optimize drug loadings and release profi les

from PCL nanofi bers for vitamin D and other natural compounds

alone or in combination and determine effi cacy for inducing

expression of LL-37 using keratinocytes (HaCaT), monocytes (U937),

neutrophil-like cells (HL-60) and human skin tissues in vitro; and 3)

Test the antimicrobial effi cacy of optimized nanofi ber-based wound

dressings ex-vivo using a human skin tissue infection model.

Dr. Sarvetnick with Ellen and Aaron Roberts and their daughter Lauren who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and participates as a subject in the Heartland Diabetes Project.

Volume 1 | January 2016

Don’t forget to RSVPor submit your graduate or postdoctoral posters for the

Regenerative Medicine Symposium

Friday, April 15, 2016 | 3:30-7:30 p.m.

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, Riverview Lodge

Dinner, desserts, and drinks will be providedAll faculty, staff and students are welcome

If you have any news or upcoming events that you would like featured in the next edition of the in-house Holland Regenerative Medicine Newsletter, please send the information to jenni.irving.unmc.edu

Mary and Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program985965 Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5965402.559.7584

unmc.edu/regenerativemed