Home Department: Undeclared
Mentor: Fan Yang (Orthopaedic Surgery and Bioengineering)

"Optimizing Stem Cell and Macrophage Membrane Coatings to Improve Bone Regeneration in Aging"

As we age, bone fractures heal slower due to the reduced regenerative capacity and constant inflammatory state of aged cells. Coating 3D scaffolds with cell membranes from young cells offers a promising therapeutic strategy to boost regeneration by mimicking cell-cell interactions. Raina’s project tests ratios of two cell membrane types that may influence healing: stem cells that support bone formation, and macrophages that control the body’s inflammatory response. Using a 3D model of aging, her project aims to identify the optimal ratio of stem cell and macrophage membranes that maximizes skeletal regeneration and generates favorable immune responses in aged cells.