Toward Rational Scaffold Design for

Tissue Engineering Vascular Graft Applications

Mariah Hahn

A fundamental understanding of the cell responses invoked by specific scaffold material properties is critical for the rational design and selection of tissue engineering scaffolds. Systematic investigation of cell-material interactions requires the ability to control scaffold properties at the microscale as well as insight into the impact of material property alterations on internal cell signaling. Results for our laboratory’s efforts at rational scaffold design will be discussed in the context of tissue engineered vascular grafts. Specifically, scaffold property modulation of the serum response factor pathway, a signaling pathway critical to vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation will be explored.