Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and associated with increased risk for ischemic stroke and mortality. While the risk of stroke has been shown to be reduced with the use of oral anticoagulants like Warfarin, these medications are predictably linked with an increased risk of bleeding, and...
Humans have a remarkable ability to create stable walking patterns that can resist and recover from perturbations. Unfortunately, this ability is substantially impaired after a stroke, limiting mobility and contributing to a high fall rate. To facilitate gait training during post-stroke rehabilitation, clinicians often incorporate body-weight support (BWS) systems that...
Like many diseases, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is driven by the activity of inflammatory cells. Using molecular imaging to target and analyze populations of inflammatory cells is one promising strategy to non-invasively assess atherosclerosis progression. However, current molecular imaging contrast agents are not suited for such targeted imaging applications. Nanomaterial-based strategies...
Nanomaterials are broadly defined as materials that exhibit at least one dimension that is less than 1,000 nm. Encompassed within nanomaterials are a class of constructs known as nanocarriers, which are applied as delivery vehicles for both encapsulated and covalently bound payloads. Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene sulfide) (PEG-b-PPS) is an amphiphilic block...
Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) has significantly stimulated the development of methods to quantitatively visualize and characterize biomolecules in vitro and in situ. SMLM is a class of super-resolution microscopy (SRM) techniques, which exploits the “on-off” switching of individual fluorescent molecules to estimate their location with nanometer precision and offers spatial...
We have a remarkable ability to perform complex, coordinated movements without much conscious effort. In addition to the computations required to generate commands for muscles, a key aspect of coordinated motor control is incorporating sensory feedback about the movement. One of the most important feedback routes is through proprioception, the...
In nature, materials with complex architectures are formed through hierarchical self-assembly. Therefore, the study and design of hierarchically assembling materials is important in producing materials that mimic biological structures and is a key challenge in biomaterials science and engineering. In articular cartilage, hierarchical assembly of extracellular matrix (ECM) components provides...
Nanocarriers are drug delivery vehicles that have at least one dimension at the nanoscale (10-9 m). Engineering the nanocarrier surface is a strategy for targeting drug delivery to specific cell types to enhance efficacy and minimize side effects. A useful analogy is to consider how the chassis of an automotive...
Nanocarriers are nanometer-sized (1-1000 nm) structures capable of encapsulating cargo. This encapsulation can drastically alter the pharmacokinetic properties of the cargo, while also allowing for the rational design and engineering of the nanocarrier itself. Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene sulfide) is an amphiphilic diblock copolymer capable of self-assembling into diverse nanocarriers. The purpose...
Chromatin, a complex nuclear structure comprised of DNA, histones, RNA, and other nuclear proteins, is one of the most critical components within the cell because it houses the genetic information and its organization regulates important cellular functions, such as transcription, replication, and repair. Its structural organization is well understood at...
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used widely and frequently in the clinical setting to image and diagnose patients. In addition to the anatomical scans that can be acquired using MRI, different kinds of physiological parameters, such as blood flow, can be obtained by utilizing pulse sequence, scan protocol and post-processing....
Coordinated movement relies on the precise and controlled activation of populations of motor units, which convert the commands of the nervous system into muscle forces. Motor unit firing patterns are often nonlinear and generated through the response to a combination of ionotropic excitatory and inhibitory commands, as well as metabotropic...
Everyday tasks, such as putting on a jacket or reaching up to a shelf, often become more challenging for older adults. These tasks rely on the ability to generate three-dimensional torques about the shoulder and to adapt these torques across activities. Shoulder strength and muscle coordination impact shoulder torque production,...
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in adults in the United States. Despite its prevalence, the etiology of AF and its adverse effects are not completely understood, which has made treatment of AF difficult. However, left atrial (LA) fibrosis is associated with worsening and propagating AF. Additionally, research...
Fluorescence microscopy has become a widely used tool in many research areas. However, its spatial resolution, limited to 250 nm by the diffraction limit of light, has restricted direct observation of details of ultrastructural biology. In recent years, spectroscopic single-molecule localization microscopy (sSMLM), one of super-resolution imaging techniques, has been...
Nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA of various lengths and structures have a wide scope of functions as therapeutic entities compared to conventional drugs. For instance, native and modified forms of nucleic acids can be used for gene silencing, genome editing, gene replacement, immune system modulation, and theranostics. While...
End-stage renal disease, or kidney failure, can result from acute kidney injury or sustained kidney damage in the form of chronic kidney disease. As the prevalence of end-stage renal disease continues to rise, the gold-standard treatment—kidney transplantation—is increasingly restricted by the shortage of transplantable donor kidneys. Bioengineered kidney tissues may...
Nucleic acids not only are the building blocks of life but also a class of attractive macromolecular therapeutics. However, the delivery of therapeutic oligonucleotides into cells has been a major challenge due to their large size and highly negatively charged backbone. Spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) are a class of emerging...
The dynamics of human joints are fundamental characteristic of the human motor system, and altered joint impedance can hinder mobility. Individuals with transtibial amputation typically experience slower and energetically costly gait, while individuals with chronic stroke experience persisting gait deficits arising from spasticity, hypertonia and paresis. Investigating joint impedance of...
Soft materials in nature are formed through programmed self-assembly of biomolecules to create complex architectures and optimized physical properties. It is therefore a key challenge in biomaterials science and engineering to understand the principles that govern the structure and properties of such materials, and the interactions between their different components....
