MEDx Investigator Shyni Varghese: Cell-Filled Pouch Creates Temporary “Chimeras” to Treat Disease

Story originally published on Pratt School of Engineering page

MEDx Investigator Shyni Varghese, and other biomedical engineers at Duke University, have devised a pouch designed to create temporary chimeras – mixed species -- to treat diseases. In a proof-of-concept study, the device protected transplanted human liver cells from mice’s immune systems for six months while they produced crucial biomolecules. Read full story on Pratt School of Engineering News.

Shyni Varghese is a professor with appointments in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, and Orthopaedic Surgery. She leads an interdisciplinary research program at the interface of engineering, physical sciences and medicine. Her research covers a broad range of topics, including stem cells, bioinspired materials and regenerative medicine with a focus on both basic and translational research. Examples of ongoing research activities in her laboratory include the development of smart biomaterials, including self-healing and stimuli responsive hydrogels; extracellular matrix biology and engineered matrices; stem cell engineering, cell transplantation and endogenous tissue regeneration; and organ-on-a-chip technologies. She is currently serving as an associate editor of Biomaterials Science, a Royal Society of Chemistry journal. Learn more about Varghese Lab.