Abstract:
Organ and cell replacement therapies hold great promise for the treatment of multiple conditions, including autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes. Restoration of endogenous insulin production, via cell delivery, has shown to be clinically successful in lowering complications and improving glucose sensing in patients. Yet, a widespread application has been hampered by the need for chronic immunosuppressive drugs to prevent strong inflammatory and immunological responses to the graft. Engineered materials offer a powerful approach for local, selective targeting of immune functionalities without compromising systemic immune function. In this talk, we will highlight engineered synthetic polymeric materials that can promote tissue integration and induce operational tolerance to cell therapies by generating a multifaced regulatory network.

Bio:
Prof Coronel is a Biological scholar and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her lab is centered on engineering biomaterials for perturbing and investigating immunological responses. Dr. Coronel received her BS degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Miami, and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Florida. She also obtained a certificate in Clinical Translational Research from Emory University Public Health School. She finished her postdoctoral fellowship at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her work has been funded by JDRF, NIH, and the programmable materials initiative at the University of Michigan.

Zoom:
https://umich.zoom.us/j/91375430500