Tissue Engineering Resource Center-Treatment of COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress by inhalation of exosomes

Summary: Tissue engineering is rapidly developing, but remains limited by (i) scaffold and bioreactor designs that arebased on predetermined parameters, and (ii) the lack of real-time, nondestructive measurements of celland tissue function. To overcome these two limitations, we will develop adaptive-responsive biomaterialsthat can sense environmental signals and actuate the cells, and imaging-enabled bioreactors with real-timespatiotemporal control of engineered tissues with feedback from the measured cell responses. Our goal isto offer these advances to the tissue engineering community, and translate them into clinic. The proposedTissue Engineering Resource Center brings together four highly productive and actively collaboratinginvestigators from Columbia University (lead institution), Tufts University and Columbia University MedicalCenter-Presbyterian Hospital. An Administrative Board will coordinate the Center's activities, in conjunctionwith an External Advisory Committee, formed from the world leaders in tissue engineering and clinicaltranslation that will evaluate the Center and provide guidance in strategic planning. The Center will partnerwith a number of existing resources (please see 13 letters of collaboration), and will have very generousfinancial support of the Columbia University School of Engineering ($2,425,000 over the five-year cycle).Strong and effective leadership is uniquely suited to support this transformative Center.The technical components of the Center are three Technology Research and Development Projects(TRD1: Adaptive-responsive biomaterials; TRD2: Imaging enabled bioreactor systems; TRD3:Regenerative engineering), eight Collaborative Projects and six Service Projects. We also propose arobust and diverse Training and Dissemination program to provide links between the projects in theCenter with training of biomedical investigators in the use of new technologies, and the outreach tostudents, general public and underserved communities. Our mission is is that the Center will serve as atransformative driving force for the field of tissue engineering, by developing and translating newtechnologies, providing training and service, and offering dissemination and outreach programs for generalpublic and high school students. With a highly innovative scientific premise, extensive foundationalresearch, strong leadership and institutional support, experience in translational research, and long historyof collaboration among the lead investigators, we are confident that the Center will accomplish its mission.