1. Three-Dimensional (3D) Cell Culture Techniques : New 3D cell culture methods have significantly improved the properties of stem cells, enhancing their viability and functionality for tissue regeneration. These techniques allow for more accurate modeling of tissue architecture and function. 2. Engineered Stem Cells : Advances in bioengineering have led to the development of "engineered stem cells," which are modified to enhance their regenerative capabilities. These next-generation stem cells are designed to be more effective in tissue repair and regeneration. 3. Injectable Biomimetic Hydrogels : Researchers have developed advanced injectable hydrogels that mimic natural tissue environments. These hydrogels hold significant promise for tissue engineering applications, providing a supportive matrix for stem cell growth and differentiation. 4. Integration with Tissue Scaffolds : There have been significant improvements in integrating stem cells with biomaterial scaffolds. These scaffolds provide structural support and enhance the differentiation and growth of stem cells into specific tissue types, improving the outcomes of regenerative treatments. 5. Gene Editing and mRNA Technologies : Techniques like CRISPR and mRNA-based therapies are being used to modify stem cells at the genetic level, enhancing their ability to regenerate tissues. These technologies allow for precise control over stem cell behavior and function.

The MTM lab has experienced considerable growth over the last several years at the University of Illinois Chicago!

2024 The MTM Lab has been awarded an NIDDK R01 (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) grant to develop a novel microfluidic approach to elucidate the effects of soluble factor gradients, individually and in controlled combinations, on zonated functions in primary liver cells from rodents and humans towards determining species-specific effects . Ultimately, our novel devices can be used to investigate the mechanisms underlying liver zonation, chemical-induced zonated hepatotoxicity, and how zonation is perturbed in liver diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. The MTM Lab has been awarded a NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) grant to develop a high throughput system to test placental cell invasion using a 3D placental microtissue coupled with hepatic liver biotransformation . This first-of-its-kind hepatic-placenta organ-tandem on a chip will simulate the liver metabolism that chemicals undergo in vivo prior to reaching the placental bed. This state-of-the-art in vitro platform will be the first step towards incorporating organism-level organization into reproductive risk assessment using a non-animal-based approach. The MTM Lab has been awarded a NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) grant to develop a human gut-liver platform with microbiome interactions for in vitro toxicology . These first-of-its-kind scalable human gut-liver models will be developed for in vitro applications, such as compound screening and disease modeling, and be used to elucidate the effects of reciprocal tissue crosstalk on cell phenotype modulation. 2023 The MTM Lab has been awarded a NIDDK (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) grant to analyze the synergistic effects of extracellular matrix composition and stiffness, multicellular interactions, and soluble triggers of NAFLD in cellular phenotypic alterations , which could aid the development of novel drug therapies for this disease. The MTM Lab has been awarded a NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) grant to develop a first-of-its-kind organotypic mouse liver model and investigate the effects of alcohol on multiple liver cell types in this model with comparisons to an in vivo mouse model of ALD that recapitulates several key features of human ALD. This platform can aid in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol-associated liver disease.

Students in the MTM lab presented 12 abstracts at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society in Seattle, WA.  Students in the MTM lab presented 11 abstracts in the form of 7 platform talks and 4 posters at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society in Orlando, FL. Regeant Panday, a PhD student in the MTM lab, presented his work with 3D human liver tissues (poster) at the MicroTAS 2020 conference. The MTM lab presented 6 accepted abstracts (2 talks and 3 posters) at the Annual Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society. The MTM lab presented 8 abstracts, one as an oral presentation and seven as poster presentations at The Second Annual UIC Bioengineering Research Symposium. Congratulations to Grace Brown, Hardik Dabas, Demi Ibrahim, David Kukla, Jennifer Liu, Chase Monckton, Regeant Panday, and Yang Yuan for these presentations. The MTM lab presented 3 posters at the biannual meeting of the Center for Advanced Design and Manufacturing of Integrated Microfluidics (CADMIM) in Irvine, CA. Congratulations to Jennifer Liu, Grace Brown, and David Kukla for these presentations. The MTM lab presented 8 abstracts at the annual meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), incluidng 3 oral presentations and 5 poster presentations. Congratulations to Grace Brown, David Kukla, Jennifer Liu, and Chase Monckton for these presentations. Dr. Khetani presented MTM lab's research on a microfluidic human liver model at the annual meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) in Phoenix, AZ. David Kukla , Matt Davidson and Dr. Khetani presented MTM research in the form of oral talks and poster presentations at the annual meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) in Minneapolis, MN.

Primary human liver cells (PHHs) are crucial for testing harmful drug reactions in human patients. Normally, these cells lose their functions quickly in simple cultures, but when grown with other supportive cells, they last 2-4 weeks. However, since liver cells in the body function for much longer (200-400 days), we want to extend their functional life in the lab to study long-term drug effects and diseases. Fasting has been shown to improve the health & longevity of tissues like the liver. We thought that mimicking fasting in cell cultures might activate beneficial pathways and extend the life of PHHs. To do this, we periodically removed serum and hormones from a 'micropatterned coculture' of liver cells, which is a special arrangement of liver cells surrounded by connective tissue cells (fibroblasts) for support. A weekly 2-day starvation period extended the life of PHHs to over 6 weeks, compared to just 3 weeks without fasting. This fasting also improved the function of simpler 'monoculture' liver cells for 2 weeks. In the 'micropatterned cocultures', fasting activated a key energy-regulating protein called AMPK and prevented the supportive fibroblast cells from overgrowing, helping maintain liver cell structure (polarity). Similar benefits were seen when we activated AMPK with a drug called metformin or stopped the growth of supportive cells with another drug, mitomycin-C. Finally, liver cells in the fasting cultures were better at predicting drug toxicity and had higher drug-processing activities even after 5 weeks. In summary, intermittent fasting in cell cultures extends the functional life of liver cells, making them more useful for drug testing. Publication >> Intermittent Starvation Extends the Functional Lifetime of Primary Human Hepatocyte Cultures