Faculty & Staff
George D. Pins
Associate Professor
Faculty Listing
Office: Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center, 4010
Phone: +1-508-831-6742
Fax: +1-508-831-5541
gpins@wpi.edu
Related Information
Educational Background
- Postdoct, Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Shriners Hospital for Children, 1999
- Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1996
- B.S., Rutgers University, 1989
Research & Teaching Interests
Cell and tissue engineering; biomaterials; bioMEMS; novel fabrication techniques to produce scaffolds for soft tissue repair; cell-material interactions; wound healing; cell culture technologies
IQP Advising Interests
Biotechnology issues; impact of new technologies; economics of health care; ethical issues; hospital based projects; effect of technology on social systems; science & society studies; history of technology; religion; literature; theatre; history of science; bioethics; entrepreneurship; technological transfer; introducing new teaching materials; assessing educational experience; patent law & intellectual property; scientific evidence & forensics
Research
The overall objective of my research is to create bioengineered replacements for damaged tissues and organs. Specifically, I am interested in using biomimetic design strategies and novel fabrication processes to develop three-dimensional scaffolds that regenerate tissue by maintaining native tissue architecture and preserving cellular microenvironments. I use these scaffolds to investigate the roles of extracellular matrix (ECM) cues and topographic features in modulating cellular functions, including adhesion, migration, proliferation, differentiation and tissue remodeling. These studies will provide a greater understanding of cell-matrix interactions that regulate wound healing and tissue remodeling and will be used to improve the design of engineered analogs for the repair of soft tissue injuries.
One area of interest is designing, fabricating, and evaluating microtextured collagen membranes for tissue engineering of skin substitutes. Currently, our work focuses on understanding the mechanisms that modulate epithelial cell function in three-dimensional microenvironments to improve both the mechanical stability of the skin equivalent as well as the barrier function and the structural stability of the epidermal layer. In a recent study, we described a method for creating microtextured basal lamina analogs and showed that the epidermal layer on cultured skin substitutes was significantly enhanced in the deep channels of the tissue analogs. Currently, we are examining the microstructural and biochemical cues that modulate keratinocyte function on the surfaces of basal lamina analogs which mimic the topographic features and extracellular matrix (ECM) composition of the dermal-epidermal junction. We anticipate that the results of these studies will provide us with design parameters to significantly enhance the performance of highly functional bioengineered skin substitutes.
In order to understanding of the relationship between keratinocyte adhesion and the biochemical composition of the surfaces of basal lamina analogs, we recently developed a screening device to perform high-throughput assays to characterize cellular adhesion on collagen-GAG membranes conjugated with varying concentrations of extracellular proteins. Initial results of tests using this technique manifest a correlation between keratinocyte adhesion and the concentration of fibronectin and laminin adsorbed to the surfaces of these membranes. We expect that enhanced adhesion of the keratinocytes will improve their proliferation and stratification, and thus will promote the rapid regeneration of an epidermal layer on the surfaces of basal lamina analogs.
Another area of interest concerns the development of bioactive collagen scaffolds for tendon/ligament repair. Previously, we developed a biomimetic approach to self-assembling solutions of collagen molecules into fibers or threads that exhibited mechanical properties and aligned fibrillar substructure comparable to native tendon structures. We are currently developing a series of experimental techniques to assess the capacity of individual collagen threads to facilitate tissue regeneration by measuring cell attachment, proliferation and migration in vitro. Aligned collagen scaffolds that possess mechanical strengths and hierarchical substructures similar to the native tissue to be repaired are expected to promote rapid cell attachment, proliferation and migration while maintaining mechanical integrity. This will enhance tissue regeneration and facilitate the rapid repair of injured tendons and ligaments.
Recent Publications
Years of Service at WPI
- Assistant Professor, 2000-Present, Biomedical Engineering Department, WPI, Worcester, MA.