News

Our collaborative project with Dr. Ferran on the mechanobiology of viral infections was funded by the National Science Foundation with $497,000. NSF BMMB

Congratulations to Lucia Morales for receiving a Diversity Travel Fellowship Award to attend the 2024 ORS PSRS meeting. https://www.ors.org/psrs-2024-diversityawards/

We recently received the R16 Equipment Supplement NOA to purchase the Inovenso NE300 Multi Nozzle Electrospinning & Spraying Machine. Stay tuned for new results!

Our work on role of miR-155-5p in IVD degeneration with a focus on inflammation and mechanosensing was published in Cell Communication and Signaling.  DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01803-7.

Mikkael Lamoca, a vital member of our lab for many years, will continue his research endeavors at NUS with a Fulbright Scholarship. For more info click here.

A warm welcome to our new PhD student, Lucia Morales, who will work on our NIH R21 project. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucia-morales-513385227

Our lab was well represented at the Meeting of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS) in Milan, Italy (two talks, special poster, symposium chair). https://www.isslsmeetings.org/

Celebrating our team member Petra Cazzanelli during the 2024 doctoral convocation and hooding ceremony. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VrCrDPCvBM

Interactive community outreach activities at Imagine RIT, showcasing our electrospinning and mechanobiology research. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J9AbfjQEHE

Prof. Dr. Karin Wuertz-Kozak was elected into the AIMBE College of Fellows, one of the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. For more info click here.

Professor Wuertz-Kozak hosted a successful 3-day Disc4All conference in the picturesque Finger Lakes region of New York State. 

Prof. Wuertz-Kozak was interviewed by WHAM13 on the lab's work on developing new solutions for back pain. 
https://13wham.com/news/local/rit-researchers-working-on-potential-solution-for-back-pain

Our work on the incidence of reoperation and adjacent segment degeneration of anterior lumbar stand-alone fusion was accepted in Brain and Spine
doi: 10.1016/j.bas.2022.100924

Our project on a Substrate Stiffness, Topography, and TRPV4 in AF Mechanotransduction was funded by the National Institute of Health (SuRE-First R16) with $730,462.
Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) Program (R16)

Our work on the Immuno-Modulatory Effects of Intervertebral Disc Cells was published in Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.924692

Prof. Dr. Wuertz-Kozak was highlighted in RIT’s Women in Engineering Day 2022 News Feature. For more info click here.

Our project on a novel 3D scleroderma skin model to test therapeutic TRPC6 modulation was funded by the Department of Defense (CDMRP) with $409,121

https://cdmrp.army.mil/srp/default

Our work on Resveratrol Microencapsulation into Electrosprayed Polymeric Carriers for the Treatment of Chronic, Non-Healing Wounds was accepted in MDPI Pharmaceutics
doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040853

Our work on Sulfated Hydrogels in Intervertebral Disc and Cartilage Research was published in MDPI Cells
doi: 10.3390/cells10123568

Our work on Acrylonitrile and Pullulan Based Nanofiber Mats as Scaffolds for 3D Skin Cell Models was published in MDPI Cells
doi: 10.3390/cells11030445

Our work on pH-responsive Chitosan/Alginate polyelectrolyte complexes on electrospun PLGA nanofibers was published in MDPI Nanomaterials.
doi: 10.3390/nano11071850

Our work on pH-responsive electrospun nanofibers and their applications was published in Polymer Reviews.
doi: 10.1080/15583724.2021.1939372

Our work on TRPV4 as a mediator of cell damage and inflammation induced by hyperphysiological compression was published in JOR Spine.
doi: 10.1002/jsp2.1149

Our work on extracellular vesicles as potential mediators of psychosocial stress contribution to osteoporosis was published in the International Journal of Molecular Science.
doi: 10.3390/ijms22115846

Our work on the effect of BMI on the clinical outcome following spinal decompression surgery was published in the European Spine Journal.
doi: 10.1007/s00586-021-06765-9

Our work on engineering advanced in vitro models of systemic sclerosis for drug discovery and development was published in Advanced Biology.
doi: 10.1002/adbi.202000168

Our work on the multiscale regulation of the intervertebral disc was published in the International Journal of Molecular Science.
doi: 10.3390/ijms22020703

Our work on the secretome of mesenchymal stromal cells exposed to healthy, traumatic and degenerative intervertebral discs was published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy.
doi: 10.1186/s13287-020-02062-2

Our work on fibronectin fragments and inflammation during canine intervertebral disc disease was published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science
doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.547644

Our work on the effects of early life stress on bone homeostasis in mice and humans was published in the International Journal of Molecular Science.
doi: 10.3390/ijms21186634

We are now working with Sanatela Medical to create nanofibrous scaffolds from decellularized Wharton’s Jelly matrix.
Sanatela Medical | A research and development biotechnology company

Our work on electrospinning and 3D bioprinting for intervertebral disc repair was published in JOR Spine.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jsp2.1117

Our work on the of role TRP Channels in disc inflammation due to hypoosmotic stress was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00952

Our work on Cutibacterium acnes in intervertebral disc inflammation was published in Biomedicines.
doi:10.3390/biomedicines8070186

Our work on microRNAs in intervertebral disc degeneration, apoptosis, inflammation, and mechanobiology was published in IJMS.
doi: 10.3390/ijms21103601

Our work on cell-laden agarose-collagen composite hydrogels for mechanotransduction studies was published in Frontiers Bioengineering and Biotechnology.
doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00346

Our work on the therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles in degenerative diseases of the intervertebral disc (in collaboration with the Gaborski Lab) was published in Frontiers Bioengineering and Biotechnology.
doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00311

Our work on the differential regulation of TRP channels by intervertebral disc degeneration and back pack was published in Scientific Reports.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-55212-9

Our work on the expression and activity of hyaluronidases (HYALs) in intervertebral disc health and disease was published in the European Spine Journal.
doi: 10.1007/s00586-019-06227-3

Project funding in biology and medicine (SNF division III)
The Money follows Researcher Program of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) agreed to support the move of Prof. Wuertz-Kozak from the ETH Zurich (Switzerland) to RIT by allowing the transfer of project-related funds. The total budget of this project, which is related to microRNAs in the disc, is 310,000 USD.

Our work on alterations in bone homeostasis and microstructure related to depression and allostatic load was accepted in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.
doi: 10.1159/000503640

Welcome to the website of the Tissue Regeneration & Mechanobiology Laboratory at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at RIT.