The cell therapeutics center of the Institute for Translational Medicine, Qingdao University, mainly focuses on investigating cellular mechanisms of vascular diseases and restoring tissue functions by activating endogenous adult stem cells in situ or by transplanting stem cells. We have been using multi-disciplinary approaches, including developmental biology, cell biology, clinical medicine, and micro-/nano-technologies, to explore the application of our research findings in translational medicine.
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells play an important role in maintaining normal tissue function and regeneration. Because of their reliable safety, adult stem cells have been widely used in many clinical trials. At present, hematopoietic stem cells have been successfully used in the treatment of hematological diseases (such as leukemia). Some clinical trials have used other types of adult stem cells (such as mesenchymal stem cells) to treat solid tissue diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases), but its research progress is slow. Compared to the blood system, solid tissue has a more complex cell microenvironment. An in-depth understanding of the regulation mechanisms of adult stem cells in solid tissue is significant and important for guiding clinical experiments. Therefore, we use transgenic mouse models, single cell genome sequencing, and advanced imaging technologies to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of adult stem cells in normal tissue development, cardiovascular disease, organ fibrosis, and tumorigenesis. At present, the focus is on gene expression analysis and microenvironment regulation mechanisms of vascular adult stem cells.
Vascular graft transplantation
Small caliber vascular transplantation is a challenge in clinical medicine. At present, the gold standard is autologous artery or vein transplantation, but intimal hyperplasia usually occurs, resulting in restenosis or the blockage of blood vessels. From the perspective of the vascular microenvironment, we will use biomedical engineering methods to regulate a series of vascular microenvironment factors, including cellular, physical, and biochemical factors; promote vascular regeneration; and inhibit or slow down intimal hyperplasia.
Organ-on-a-Chip Models
Organ-on-a-chip models have been an international research hot topic in recent years. It can simulate some organ functions in vitro for drug development and research. At present, micro-technologies and cell lines are generally used to construct culture systems in vitro, which is difficult to use for long-term culture or simulate tissue regeneration functions. We take adult stem cells as the starting point to simulate the microenvironment in vivo and generate functional units of organs for drug development and research or cell transplantation.
Director: Dr. Wang Dong
Tel.: 82991791
Email: dwang2100@163.com