UofM’s Gao Receives ORAU Ralph E. Powe Award

Research will enable 3D printed biomimetic porous scaffolds for study on brain tumor development

Sponsored by ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards, Dr. Yuan Gao, assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering, and her team will create scaffolds that mimic the natural tissue environment to better understand the interactions between brain tumors and blood vessels. These interactions are key to unlocking the mechanisms behind tumor growth and metastasis. By achieving precise control over scaffold porosity and structure, the team expects to provide a biomimetic in vitro model for the study of glioblastoma, a highly aggressive type of brain cancer.

The project introduces a cutting-edge 3D printing technology using acoustic-controlled microbubbles combined with Digital Light Processing (DLP). This novel approach aims to replicate the complex porous structures of human tissues, which are crucial for studying cell behaviors and interactions in a controlled environment.

This innovative approach allows for precise and tunable porous scaffolds. By providing an accurate in vitro model for glioblastoma research, enable more accurate investigations into the interactions between brain tumors and their surrounding blood vessels. The project is expected to advance biomedical research and cancer treatment towards a better understanding the cancer development. Moreover, the advanced multiscale fabrication techniques developed through this work will contribute to broader applications in tissue engineering and personalized medicine.

“Our research aims to provide an effective approach to precisely replicating natural tissue structures for studying brain tumor development” said Dr. Gao, “By leveraging Acoustic-controlled Microbubbles and DLP 3D printing, we seek to create advanced 3D models to help understand tumor behavior, paving the way for better treatments for brain cancer and advancing personalized drug development.”

For more information on this project, contact Gao at ygao6@memphis.edu.