Erin Lee
BME Ph.D. Defense Presentation
Date: Friday, September 16
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: McIntire Conference Room, Whitaker
Advisor:
Barbara D. Boyan, Ph.D. (Georgia Institute of Technology, Virginia Commonwealth University)
Committee members:
Ravi Bellamkonda, Ph.D. (Duke University)
Haifeng Chen, Ph.D. (Peking University)
Ken Gall, Ph.D. (Duke University)
Johnna Temenoff, Ph.D. (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Cheng Zhu, Ph.D. (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Influence of Static and Dynamic Topography on Osteoblast Proliferation and Maturation
Osseointegration remains a primary concern for implanted devices in patients with risk factors such as diabetes, smoking, age, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Current use of titanium alloys, while successful, comes at a high cost. Cheaper alternatives may exist with polymers for some non-load bearing applications. Advancements in polymer chemistry have yielded a class of smart materials called shape-memory polymers (SMPs), which can change their shape via changes in temperature or mechanical stress. This study follows the creation of one such temperature-sensitive SMP, benzyl acrylate-benzyl methacrylate-1,12-dodecanediol dimethacrylate, which can be compressed to remove all surface topography and at 37C shows nearly complete recovery within 8 hours. The examination of pre-osteoblast MG63 behavior on these SMPs (with and without compression) by DNA and ELISAs indicates MG63s can be 'clued' to proliferate and then to rapidly mature. Similar topography was created on polymers of varied stiffness to determine if there is correlation between substrate stiffness and topography on osteoblast maturation. Overall, this thesis gives insight into potential benefits of SMP use in biomedical applications.
