Prof. Bencherif, 2021 Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigator, was recently interviewed by Laura Ghandhi, Development Editor at Royal Society of Chemistry, and is now featured on Biomaterials Science Blog.  Check it out to learn more about our research and Prof. Bencherif’s perspective on Biomaterials Science and career-related advice. 

Prof. Bencherif and team have recently published a research article in Biomaterials Science for their work on “Engineering a macroporous fibrin-based sequential interpenetrating polymer network for dermal tissue engineering”. This article reports on the synthesis and characterization of a new type of naturally derived and macroporous interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) for skin repair. 

The lab was recently awarded a ~$2M R01 grant from NIH to tackle vaccine-associated hypoxia with advanced biomaterials to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

This project is focused on the development of biomaterial-based vaccines against prostate cancer. This work will integrate advanced injectable hydrogels, hypoxia-fighting nanoparticles, tumor-specific antigens, and immunostimulatory factors. We hypothesize that the proposed biomaterials can overcome hypoxia-driven immunosuppression in cancer vaccines and improve therapeutic efficacy.

The NIH fund will support this work in collaboration with Prof. Sitkovsky to further optimize and test this novel cancer vaccines in animal models, a critical step for translational research and moving on to the first stage of clinical testing in humans.

Check out the news story here for more information.

Joyce Shen, third-year biochemistry student, recently received an Honors Early Research Award from the Northeastern University Honors Program for her project, “Engineering polyester-coated nanoparticles for extended oxygen release”.

Congrats Joyce! More information can be found here.

In collaboration with the “laboratoire Biomécanique et Bioingénierie (BMBI)” at University of Technology of Compiègne/Sorbonne University, we report a new method for performing 3D cell cultures in microfluidic devices: a macroporous cryogel integrated biochip with tunable mechanical properties intended to mimic the stiffness of a healthy or pathological liver tissue.

This new cell culture device, combining a 3D microenvironment and perfusable cell culture, mimics the native liver microenvironment more closely by reconstructing its physiological stiffness. The feasibility study performed with HepG2/C3A showed viable and functional cells, enabling 3D tissue organization throughout the biochip. This device is a promising tool for potentially developing reliable in vitro liver microtissues for drug toxicity and efficacy studies, but it also may be a platform to better understand and dissect liver cell biology.

Check out our article here for more information.

One of our recent publications “Engineering a macroporous fibrin-based sequential interpenetrating polymer network for dermal tissue engineering” was featured on the front cover of the 2021 Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigators issue of Biomaterials Science. This article recently published in Biomaterials Science reports the synthesis and characterization of a new type of naturally derived and macroporous interpenetrating polymer network for skin repair.

This issue is part of the themed collection: Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigators 2021. Prof. Bencherif and other selected investigators were individually nominated by members of the journal Editorial and Advisory Boards, and previous Emerging Investigators, in recognition of their potential to influence future directions in the field of biomaterials.

More information can be found here. The article and the front cover can be found here.

In collaboration with Prof. Ambika G. Bajpayee (BioE), one of our recent publications “Hyaluronic Acid-Based Shape-Memory Cryogel Scaffolds for Focal Cartilage Defect Repair” was featured on the front cover of the June 2021 issue of the journal Tissue Engineering Part A. The cover art depicts an injectable shape-memory hyaluronic acid-based cryogel with macroporous structure (yellow) hosting self-organized 3D chondrocyte organoids (nucleus: blue, actin fibers: green, dead cells: red) for cartilage tissue engineering.

More information can be found here. The article and the front cover can be found here.

Congratulations to Thibault Colombani and team (Loek Eggermont, Stephen Hatfield, Zachary Rogers, Mahboobeh Rezaeeyazdi, Adnan Memic, Michail Sitkovsky, and Prof. Sidi Bencherif) on their recent publication, reporting the design of injectable oxygen-generating cryogels (O₂-cryogels) as a strategy to boost antitumor immune responses. These non-invasive biomaterials are used to controllably release oxygen into solid tumors, reverse hypoxia-driven immunosuppression, and promote the infiltration of pre-existing immune-fighting immune cells into solid tumors. O₂-cryogels are a novel platform to deliver oxygen locally as a co-adjuvant in solid tumors, reinforce tumor-infiltrating T cells, and ultimately enhance cancer immunotherapies.

Check out the manuscript here and a Northeastern College of Engineering article here.

“This award recognizes the Lab’s excellence in polymer research”

Congrats to Prof. Bencherif for being selected as a 2021 Young Investigator by the American Chemical Society’s Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (ACS PMSE). This distinction is meant to honor young researchers who have made significant contributions to their respective fields within Polymer Science and Engineering.  As part of this award, Prof. Bencherif has been invited to present the lab’s recent research advancements in the PMSE Young Investigator Symposium at the Spring 2022 ACS National Meeting in San Diego, CA.

For more information on the PMSE Young Investigator award, you can visit the PMSE website here.

For more information about this story, you can visit the COE website here.

Zach Rogers, PhD student, was recently awarded the Alpha Fund Prototype Grant for his proposal, “Oxygen-controlling cell culture (OCC) systems”. The Alpha Fund, which is sponsored by both Northeastern’s venture accelerator IDEA and the Center for Research Innovation (CRI) aims to help early-stage innovations to test their concept and gain market feedback.

Congratulations Zach!

Ramya Kumar, a B.S. student in Behavioral Neuroscience, recently received the PEAK Experiences Summit Award for her project entitled, “Development of Lipoplexes-Containing Cryogels for Cancer Immunotherapy”. The Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships grants this competitive award to individuals who have demonstrated a passion for research and a high level of sophistication and skill developed from previous academic endeavors.

With her project, Ramya will encapsulate lipoplexes within cryogels and evaluate their potential as a cancer vaccine platform.