Scaffolds for Monitoring Autoimmunity Projects

  Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory musculoskeletal disease associated with psoriasis and has a heterogeneous disease presentation including peripheral arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis, spondylitis, and nail lesions. Early diagnosis and intervention with disease modifying treatments is considered critical in preventing progression, yet diagnosis and monitoring of PsA remains extremely challenging. Several recent studies have indicated that various physiological and pathological states influence the foreign body response (FBR) to implanted materials. Furthermore, our group has demonstrated that the FBR to an implanted scaffold can lead to implant conditioning, vascularization, and a continual influx of immune cells from circulation and surrounding tissue to form a subcutaneously engineered tissue that can be harnessed for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of PsA patients. My work focuses on applying polycaprolactone, which is one of the widely explored synthetic polymers in various biomedical applications, as an implantable device to serve as sentinel sites to diagnose and prognose PsA. 

- Meijuan Lin, Research Specialist, BME

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease that predominantly affects women and can impact almost every body system and organ. One of the most severe complications of SLE is lupus nephritis, where inflammatory immune cells and immune complexes accumulate in the kidneys. This buildup diminishes the kidneys’ filtration capacity, severely impairing their function. Diagnosing lupus nephritis is particularly challenging, as common laboratory tests, such as blood and urine analyses, often fail to reflect the actual extent of tissue damage. As a result, patients frequently require a kidney biopsy for accurate diagnosis, a procedure that can be associated with significant pain, discomfort, and extended recovery times. To address this clinical challenge, our research focuses on utilizing engineered immunological niches as a diagnostic tool. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a widely studied biocompatible polymer that can be used for an immunological niche application to home immune cells implicated in disease. PCL scaffolds can be implanted subcutaneously, serving as a less invasive diagnostic site to offer a more patient-friendly alternative to traditional kidney biopsies. Through this approach, we aim to promote early diagnosis and early therapeutic intervention in patients with lupus nephritis.

-Shivanie Kodikalla, Second Year Graduate Student, BME