McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine - University of Pittsburg

Development of tissue engineering, cellular therapies, biosurgery and artificial and biohybrid organ devices

The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine was established by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The institute understands itself as a base of operations for the university’s leading scientists and clinical faculty working in the field of regenerative medicine. The Hattler Catheter, which is described below, was developed at the Artificial Lung Laboratory of the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, funded by $6 million in grants and is now marketed by the spin-off company ALung Technologies, Inc.

Alan J. Russell, Dr., Director
Elizabeth Surgil, Assistant to Director
John Murphy, Executive Director

100 Technology Drive
Suite 200
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-3110
USA
Phone: +1-412-235-5100
Fax: +1-412-235-5110

The McGowan Institute is focused on three areas of regenerative medicine: medical devices and artificial organs, tissue engineering and biomaterials and cellular therapeutics.

The Medical Device and Artificial Organ Programme includes the development of a biohybrid lung, a portable organ preservation system, bioartificial liver, hattler respiratory catheters, artificial hearts and blood as well as chronic artificial lungs. The biohybrid lung is a membrane oxygenator that incorporates endothelial cells to allow continuous blood flow. A related project is focused on developing biological cellular membranes consisting of co-cultures between pulmonary epithelial and endothelial cells that may result in a robust biological membrane with mechanical and gas transfer properties. The artificial lung device is currently under development. The researchers are geared to improve efficiency and biocompatibility of artificial lung devices. On this account they try to encourage endothelial cell adhesion and growth on commercial and modified microspore polypropylene hollow fibers.

The Hattler Respiratory Support Catheter allows insertion of a venous catheter that provides temporary respiratory support for patients with acute lung failure.

The Artificial Heart Program is active in a number of research projects: novel pulsed laser imaging of ventricular assist device flow fields, study of the arterial pressure waveforms of individuals undergoing mechanical circulatory support and quantifying left ventricular recovery while on ventricular assist device support, exploration of hypertension during support with ventricular assist devices and use of the TLC-II portable Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Driver System in the home discharge setting.