Medicine and Surgery HT

· Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM): Introduction to the course program, examination methods, attendance requirements, and availability of teaching materials and presentations. Introductory lecture on the fundamental concepts of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Rationale of regenerative medicine engineering for disease modelling, drug testing, and tissue regeneration. Overview of animal models capable of tissue regeneration at various levels. Presentation of research topics of interest within the 3D bioprinting laboratory. · Cell sources, stem cells and cell culture principles: Overview of stem cells, their differences from adult cells, and their main characteristics and applications in medicine and regenerative engineering. Description of the stem cell niche and its main features. Detailed information on hematopoietic, neural, and bone marrow stromal niches, as well as adult cells and their use in regenerative medicine. Principles of immune rejection of stem cells and tissues from human and animal donors. Illustration of the biological and biomechanical principles underlying intracellular signaling initiation and transduction, and their relevance to regenerative engineering. Differences among embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells, with related advantages and challenges. Introduction to the concepts of cellular “immortality” and senescence. Methods for isolation and selection of stem cells. Principles of cell differentiation and cell growth in vitro. Notes on mass transport concepts relevant to regenerative medicine engineering. · Extracellular matrix (ECM) and biomaterials: Basic concepts and introduction to the extracellular matrix, its main components, and its physiological and pathological configurations. Introduction to biomimetic materials and the main mechanical, physical, and chemical properties of the matrix. Fundamentals of ECM remodeling and related biomechanical and functional implications. Synthesis and use of native biomaterials derived from the extracellular matrix. Decellularization of organs or tissues for use as scaffolding or as platforms for hydrogel synthesis. Principles of cell encapsulation, with a specific focus on hydrogel-based biomaterials used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. · Scaffold design, fabrication and degradation + drug release: Overview of major design methods for functional scaffold constructs and introduction to the tuning of physicochemical properties to modulate scaffold degradation. Main degradation and erosion mechanisms (bulk vs surface). Definitions and examples of biocompatibility, bioinertness, and bioactivity. Overview of surface coating strategies for biocompatible materials. Principles of swelling, measurement/quantification methods, and relevance to regenerative medicine engineering. Information on how scaffold architecture affects cellular behavior, and on the influence of porosity on tissue functionality. Main fabrication techniques for scaffolds, including electrospinning and melt-electrowriting. Introduction to drug release mechanisms and design strategies for controlled delivery of drugs and bioactive molecules in regenerative medicine. Drug loading approaches in bioengineered structures. Overview of controlled drug release mechanisms and physiological implications. Cellular uptake pathways for internalization. Functional characteristics of lipid-, polymer-, and inorganic-based nanoparticles. · 3D Bioprinting: Introduction to the main 3D printing techniques. Detailed information on printing modes and parameters. History and evolution of cell bioprinting. Functional fabrication of cell-laden constructs using 3D bioprinting. Methods for generating bioprinted 3D constructs from diagnostic images. The role of 3D bioprinting in regenerative medicine engineering. Introduction to 4D bioprinting. Printability of living cells and related technical-scientific approaches to improve post-printing cell viability. Overview of main 3D bioprinting techniques (laser-based, extrusion, inkjet). Practical and published examples of 3D bioprinting applications. Additional information on unconventional 3D bioprinting methods for cells. · Microfluidics and bioreactors: Theoretical principles for designing microfluidic chips. Fundamentals of fluid mechanics within microfluidic systems. Basic assumptions and Navier–Stokes equations. Simplified derivation of the Reynolds number and its implications for microfluidic studies in tissue bioengineering. Examples of microfabrication and compartmentalization of biological or bioactive materials through microdroplet generation or fiber spinning. Overview of the main types and scaling of bioreactors used for cell expansion and long-term culture of biofabricated constructs for tissue regeneration. Introduction to physical stimuli for tissue maturation. Types of bioreactors (mixing, perfusion) and their respective advantages. Calculation of oxygen consumption in single compartments, mass transport, diffusion-reaction, and gas–liquid interface diffusion. Scale-up/scale-down principles for bioengineering bioreactor design. · Elastic tissues (cancer and skin): Biomechanics of human tissues and principles of tumor tissue pathophysiology, focusing on biomechanical properties. Conditions of metastasis and tumor growth. Influence of the extracellular milieu on metastatic and aberrant tissue development. Use of engineered models for studying pathological conditions and testing anticancer and chemotherapeutic drugs. Anatomy and physiology of human skin. Damage caused by epithelial tissue loss and clinical cases of epithelial injury. Bioengineering approaches for epithelial tissue regeneration and biofabrication of systems for human hair follicle regeneration. Examples of regenerative medicine research published in high-impact international journals. · Bone and Cartilage: Overview of the anatomy and physiology of the human skeletal system. Damage caused by bone and cartilage tissue destruction and related clinical cases. Bioengineering approaches for skeletal tissue regeneration, with a particular focus on bone and cartilage. Examples of recent regenerative medicine research published in international scientific journals. · Muscle, Liver and Pancreas: Overview of the anatomy and physiology of human muscle tissue. Damage caused by muscle tissue destruction and related clinical cases. Bioengineering approaches for the regeneration and modeling of human muscle tissue. Examples of recent regenerative medicine research published in international journals. Overview of the anatomy and physiology of the human liver and pancreas. Damage caused by hepatic and pancreatic tissue loss and related clinical cases. Bioengineering strategies for liver and pancreas regeneration. Examples of regenerative medicine engineering published in top-tier international journals. · Cardiovascular system: Overview of the anatomy and physiology of human cardiac muscle tissue. Damage caused by myocardial destruction and related clinical cases. Bioengineering approaches for regeneration and modeling of cardiac muscle. Examples of recent regenerative medicine research published in international journals. Overview of the anatomy and physiology of the human vascular system. Damage caused by vascular injury and lack of vascularization. Clinical cases of vascular tissue damage. Bioengineering approaches for the regeneration and modeling of vascular systems. Examples of regenerative medicine engineering studies published in international journals. · Central and peripheral nervous system: Overview of the anatomy and physiology of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Damage caused by neural tissue destruction and related clinical cases. Bioengineering approaches for the regeneration of central and peripheral neural tissues. Examples of regenerative medicine research published in high-impact international journals. · Satellite lectures: Topics include: · Introduction to the scientific method and its application. · How to read and write a scientific paper. · References and citation management.

Teaching material provided by the teacher: presentations (slides) in PDF format periodically uploaded to the e-learning site of the course, relevant scientific articles cited in class. The course program and a prospectus with instructions for writing the grant proposal are available at the course website. The course handouts are available to students at the course e-learning site.