Grants Funded
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
The Influence of Innervation on Tissue Engineered Muscle Fiber Type
Principal Investigator
Melissa Melvin MD
Melissa Melvin MD
Year
2008
2008
Institution
University of Michigan
University of Michigan
Funding Mechanism
Basic Research Grant
Basic Research Grant
Focus Area
Tissue Engineering
Tissue Engineering
Abstract
Patients with muscle loss and/or localized paralysis could benefit from tissue-engineered skeletal muscle. Using an in vivo model of directed angiogenesis in the rat, we have previously engineered vascularized, neurotized skeletal muscle flaps that exhibit structural and functional characteristics of native muscle, and have the potential for microsurgical transfer on a dedicated vascular pedicle. Being able to influence the phenotypic development (slow- or fast-twitch) of a developing muscle construct would be highly desirable, in order to engineer a specific muscle type for a specific deficit. It is well-known that specific neural innervation patterns are responsible for directing skeletal muscle fiber type development. Therefore, we hypothesize that differential neural input can direct the fiber type of tissue engineered skeletal muscle constructs.
Patients with muscle loss and/or localized paralysis could benefit from tissue-engineered skeletal muscle. Using an in vivo model of directed angiogenesis in the rat, we have previously engineered vascularized, neurotized skeletal muscle flaps that exhibit structural and functional characteristics of native muscle, and have the potential for microsurgical transfer on a dedicated vascular pedicle. Being able to influence the phenotypic development (slow- or fast-twitch) of a developing muscle construct would be highly desirable, in order to engineer a specific muscle type for a specific deficit. It is well-known that specific neural innervation patterns are responsible for directing skeletal muscle fiber type development. Therefore, we hypothesize that differential neural input can direct the fiber type of tissue engineered skeletal muscle constructs.