Martin L. Tomov PhD, Serpooshan Lab
Departments of Biomedical Engineering & Pediatrics, Emory University & Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract: Functional tissue bioprinting combines rationally designed biomaterials, functional cell cultures, and macromolecules into a unified in vitro 3D construct that can recapitulate the mechanical, structural, and functional niche of native tissues. 3D bioprinting has demonstrated a tremendous potential in regenerative medicine and in modeling of a wide variety of disorders and malignancies. The Serpooshan lab partners with clinicians and engineers to characterize the critical parameters that are necessary for functional tissue engineering by developing patient-inspired bioprinted models of congenital heart diseases such as pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS), pulmonary artery atresia (PAA), and hypoplastic left ventricle syndrome (HLHS). We have developed microvascular in vitro models of diseases using 3D reconstruction and bioprinting inspired by patient CT data. These in vitro models are cellularized with appropriate cell types to recapitulate the target tissue complexity and functionality. Microvascular tissue constructs are cultured under flow using custom bioreactors. Flow hemodynamics is modelled via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, which will be compared to experimental flow data measured by 3D ultrasound and 4D MR imaging. We further explore whether the application of nanoparticles, including super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and gold nanoparticles, confer various functionalities to bioprinted tissue constructs. Specific functions include antibacterial activity, electrical conductivity, bioactive molecule/drug delivery, and imaging via CT and/or MRI. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of bioprinting a variety of cardiovascular cells, to create perfusable, patient inspired constructs for a variety of in vitro and in vivo applications. Deeper understanding of the heterogenous cell population behavior in biomimetic models that incorporate tissue-like geometrical, chemical, and biomechanical ques could offer substantial insights for prevention and treatment of disease.

Bio: Dr. Tomov obtained his PhD from the State University at Albany, in the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, working under Dr. Janet Paluh to develop and characterize ethnically-diverse stem cell lines that could be used to better tailor regenerative therapies and drug discovery. After defending his PhD, Dr. Tomov accepted a position at the Stanley Center at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where his research focused on developing a panel of DNA-conjugated antibodies that would allow fluorescence-based multi-dimensional sample analysis, using standard confocal microscopy. This technique, called DNA-PRISM, was successfully used to characterize cortical and motor neurons differentiated from neurodegenerative (SMA/ALS) and neurodevelopmental (schizophrenia/macrocephaly) disease-derived stem cell lines. His research involved fully integrating the DNA-PRISM technology with an automated assay for high-throughput compound screening and multidimensional data analysis. After he joined Dr. Vahid Serpooshan’s lab at Emory and Georgia Tech’s BME department, Dr. Tomov is now pursuing his interests in understanding the cellular-molecular mechanisms and regenerative potential of cardiovascular tissue engineering. Dr Tomov is interested in 3D bioprinting and biofabrication of vascularized cardiovascular tissue constructs, where his high-throughput cellular assay development skills and biomanufacturing expertise can develop functional models of cardiovascular disease and improve patient outcomes during surgical interventions

Co-sponsored by Microphysiological Systems Seminar Series