The final week of the immersion term was very busy. In the lab, we fabricated a new set of collagen scaffolds that contained adult lung endothelial cells, and we immobilized them on an excisional wound model. Our hypothesis is that endothelial cells play a more significant role in wound healing than previously understood. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Raffi's lab. We also excised our 14d discs and stained all of the samples, which I will image back in Ithaca. Finally, we cultured GFP HUVECs in the perfused collagen channels, but unfortunately the reservoir of media dried out on the third day of the study. We did perfuse the device with fluorescent beads and imaged flow through the channel, but it was far less satisfying than showing a fully endothelialized vascular network. I am confident that my labmates in LBMS will be able to achieve this milestone in the near future.
In the clinic, it was exciting to see the cardiothorasic surgery with Dr. Girardi. We watched an aortic valve replacement, with the implantation of a bovine valve. The patient was suffering from an enormous aneurysm caused by a bicuspid valve. The damaged artery was replaced with a polyester/collagen mesh. I was surprised to learn that this material would last the lifetime of the patient, while the Goretex tube from the femoral-popitial bypass was only expected to last a few years. I am surprised such different materials were used in each case, although the necessary mechanical stability of the peripheral bypass makes sense. This week I also saw a nerve graft. In this case, our patient was famous! At least, he was in the newspaper earlier that week do to a fairly public injury involving a bread knife.
It was a wonderful summer in the city, but I'm happy to be going home!
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