Peter S. McFetridge

Research Interests

From vision and hearing implants to an artificial heart and blood vessels, biomedical engineering has become a crucial component of the drive to improve the quality of life in our ageing society. Our laboratories research aims to develop medical devices that improve the life style and reduce suffering of those afflicted with organ loss or failure. Our focus is on the use of a unique biomaterial that is used as a 3D template or bioscaffold to promote tissue/organ regeneration. This approach, called ‘Tissue Engineering’, has shown significant promise as a medical therapy, but translation from the research lab to clinic has proven difficult due to extended in vitro culture times. In light of these issues our investigations aim to understand key conditions that enhance the regenerative capacity of tissue constructs.

Our research encompasses the three main phases of the tissue engineering approach: 1) biomaterial/scaffold development and characterization, 2) bioreactor design (to grow the living tissue), and 3) in vitro culture of the re-seeded scaffolds under replicated physiological conditions. Using a patent pending process, isolated blood vessels from a number of different vascular tissues can be rapidly, and uniformly, dissected from surrounding connective tissues. These tissues are then processed to remove immunogenic components, a process called decellularization, to minimize any immune rejection once implanted. Using the auto-dissection process a biomaterial with uniform mechanics and a significant potential to regenerate into neo-tissue is generated. The unique structure of these materials allows a number of vascular and non-vascular projects to be investigated, the material can be used as a direct implant (acellular), or as a re-seeded ‘living’ construct. When used as a re-seeded implant, human cells are seeded onto the scaffold and grown under controlled chemical and mechanical environments within specifically designed bioreactors. Projects are under investigation include; developing coronary and peripheral bypass grafts, tissue engineered soft-tissue implants for periodontal wound repair, and tubular materials for the repair of damaged peripheral nerves. More specific investigations include furthering our understanding of scaffold design and function, cell adhesion, conductivity modulation and its effects on cell function, and the influence of gas concentrations on organ development.

Our main research objective is to develop viable alternatives to autologous and synthetic transplant materials that behave more appropriately when implanted resulting in improved repair or regeneration of diseased tissues.

Publications

Nimmagadda A., Nollert M., Thurston K., and Peter S. McFetridge, Chemical Modification of SWNT Alters in vitro Cell-SWNT Interactions. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. 2005; (in press).

Daniel J., Abe K, McFetridge PS. Development of the human umbilical vein scaffold for cardiovascular tissue engineering applications. ASAIO J. 2005; 51 (3): 252-261.

P.S. McFetridge and J.B. Chaudhuri (2005). Design of Vascular Graft Bioreactors. J.B. Chaudhuri & M Al-Rubeai (Eds.), Bioreactors For Tissue Engineering, 269 - 284 (Chapter 12). Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands, (in press).

McFetridge P.S., Daniel JW, Horrocks M, Chaudhuri JB. Preparation of porcine carotid arteries for vascular tissue engineering applications. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research 2004; 70A(2): 224-34

McFetridge P.S., Bodamyali T, Chaudhuri JB, Horrocks M. Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cell Seeding onto Processed ex vivo Arterial Scaffolds using 3D Vascular Bioreactors. ASAIO J. 2004; 50(6): 591-600.

Castano H, O'Rear EA, McFetridge P.S, Sikavitsas VI. Polypyrrole thin films formed by admicellar polymerization support the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Macromolecular Biosciences 2004; 4(8): 785-94.

Daniel J. and McFetridge P.S. (2004) Mechanical Assessment Of The Human Umbilical Vein For Vascular Tissue Engineering Applications, Cardiovascular Pathology. 13: 1 179.

McFetridge P.S., Bodamyali T., Stevens C., Chaudhuri J., Horrocks M. (2000) Development of a tissue engineered small diameter vascular graft, Cardiovascular Pathology. 9: 4.

Smith M., and McFetridge P.S. et al (2000) Porcine-derived collagen as a scaffold for tissue engineering, Transactions of the Institute of Chemical Engineers. 78C 19-25