Scalable Manufacturing of Supramolecular Polymers for Regenerative Medicine

The Hsu laboratory will be responsible for testing the efficacy of the scalable and clinically viable formulations of peptide amphiphile-based scaffolds using a small animal model. Specifically, we will use an established rat spinal fusion model, where the scaffolds will be implanted into the lumbar spine and assessed for their ability to promote vertebral fusion. After the scaffolds are implanted, the animals will be housed for 8 weeks and then sacrificed. The spines will be harvested, and successful fusion will be assessed using manual palpation.