This is my class blog for BENG 434: Biomaterials!

For weekly posts, please go to the posts section of the website!!!

This blog is focused on how biomaterials can be used in therapies for developing humans, namely embryos and fetuses, with maybe some therapies for neonates included. A variety of biomaterials have shown promise in treating a plethora of human diseases from brain cancer to hip implants to safe in vivo gene editing. However, due to some of the unique challenges involving fetal and embryonic therapies, research here has lagged behind adult and pediatric research. My blog hopes to highlight biomaterials being used to treat patients before their birth.

Many diseases can impact development and some of this organ damage can cause lifelong problems. For example, in a disease like cystic fibrosis, by the time a child is born, they already have multi-system organ damage. From birth, children with cystic fibrosis can experience pancreatic insufficiency, lung damage, and microcolon, which can require surgical intervention, among other problems. Therefore, there is a strong rationale to intervene before birth to perhaps treat a disease before organ damage can occur. This could substantially reduce the disease burden at birth and potentially allow for a healthy child.

This blog hopes to expose people to some of the exciting fetal and embryonic therapies incorporating biomaterials that are being explored currently.