A vital aspect of tissue regeneration is the quality of the cells that are used to form the neotissue.  In a classic tissue engineering model, cells adjacent to the site of injury are expanded in vitro until they can be seeded with sufficient density onto a porous scaffold.  However, when tissue injury is due to disease (e.g. for a neuropathic bladder), the surrounding cells may also be unsuitable for creating a normal healthy tissue.  Similarly, when tissue injury is due to trauma, the cells expanded in vitro may express a proliferative phenotype after seeding onto the scaffold, when in fact another phenotype may be preferable.

To address these issues, our laboratory is examining alternative cell sources for bladder engineering,  and developing methods internally for better characterization of these cells.  In particular, we have been working with smooth muscle cells derived from the ureter.  Ureter and bladder tissues form from different embryologic layers during development, and we hypothesize that the diseased state of a neuropathic bladder may not be shared with a ureter from the same patient.

We also have a strong interest in exploring the role of stem cells in bladder repair, both in their recruitment to a site and their differentiation upon arrival.  Bone marrow-derived cells and other pluripotent cell types may be preferable for creating tissues that more accurately reproduce a healthy functioning bladder.