Research in The Ren Lab investigates and engineers two fundamental interactions during the biofabrication of functional tissues: (1) the interaction between participating cells; and (2) the interaction between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). These mechanistic investigations are being performed in the context of cell and tissue engineering, with a direct impact on facilitating organ bioengineering in vitro and injury repair in vivo. To recapitulate cellular interactions during embryogenesis and tissue regeneration, strategies are being developed for multi-lineage co-induction from human pluripotent stem cells. This enables the investigation of cross-germ-layer interactions between the co-developing heart and lung, and between endodermal organ parenchyma and organ-specific vasculature. To engineer cell-ECM interactions, a chemoselective strategy was developed to functionalize native ECM biomaterials to modulate regeneration and host response. This technical platform is being further extended for tracking ECM dynamics during tissue regeneration and during the progression of fibrosis and cancer.
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