07/09/2021
By Susan Pryputniewicz

The Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology program invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation proposal defense by Jennifer Lawson, “2D and 3D models of acute and chronic nociception using human induced pluripotent stem cell sensory cultures on multi-well microelectrode.”

Candidate: Jennifer Michelle Lawson
Date: Friday, July 23, 2021
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Location: This will be a virtual defense via Zoom. Those interested in attending should contact the student (Jennifer_Lawson@student.uml.edu) and committee advisor (Bryan_Black@uml.edu) at least 24 hours prior to the defense to request access to the meeting.

Committee Chair (Advisor):
Bryan James Black, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Committee Members:
Chiara Ghezzi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Thomas Shea, Ph.D., Professor/Director, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract:
The current state of the art methods and models for preclinical screening and development of novel analgesics are inadequate, costly, and time consuming. Rodent tissue models exhibit proteomic, genomic, and phenotypic differences when compared to equivalent human tissue samples. Immortalized cell lines are inadequate in their pathological phenotypes and nociceptive biomarkers. Primary human tissue samples are not tractable due to limited availability of extractable DRG. Currently the drug development process relies on the identification of molecular druggable targets and pathways. Due to interspecies differences, using animal models and animal derived cells, lends to the unpredictability of a drug’s efficacy and is a major limitation in drug development. 

An ideal screening system must facilitate the use of relevant cell and tissue types while preserving their phenotypic traits of pathophysiology, allow for high content, be moderate to high throughput, and give quantitative data. Here we propose hiPSCs differentiated into sensory neurons and astrocytes on microelectrode arrays for the purpose of screening nonaddictive analgesics with the Axion Biosystems Axis data acquisition system. This model offers a scalable human derived tissue source which may be differentiated into functional nociceptor like cells and integrated with moderate-to-high throughput phenotypic screening microelectrode array platforms. This system has been used in previous studies with primary mouse DRG and as a toxicology screen for cardiomyocytes but has not been previously used to screen non-addictive analgesics on hiPSCs.

All interested students and faculty members are invited to attend the online defense via remote access.