BME PhD Defense Announcement for Kentaro Umemori (D. Little, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00 AM. Title: APPLYING TENDON STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION INTO ENGINEERED SCAFFOLDS Date: 4/22/2025 Time: 10:00AM Place: MJIS 2001 Committee: Dr. Dianne Little, Chair; Dr. Deva Chan; Dr. Luis Solorio; Dr. Vikki Weake Abstract: Rotator cuff tendon tears disrupt the balance between shoulder stability and mobility, leading to disability and reduced quality of life. With nearly half a million surgeries performed annually in the U.S., outcomes remain suboptimal due to poor healing capacity and the formation of fibrotic scar tissue with compromised mechanical strength. Tissue engineering offers a promising approach by combining biomaterials and stem cells to promote tendon regeneration. However, current biomaterials often fall short: synthetic scaffolds lack bioactivity, while biologic scaffolds fail to provide sufficient mechanical support. Most tendon tears occur at the tendon-to-bone interface, a complex, graded structure transitioning from uncalcified tendon to calcified bone, where collagen fibers shift from aligned to disorganized. This gradient is rarely replicated by existing materials, highlighting a critical need for improved scaffold designs. 3D meltblowing (3DMB) is a high-throughput fabrication process that produces highly aligned fiber scaffolds, mimicking the native tendon's collagen architecture. To date, 3DMB scaffolds have not been thoroughly evaluated for tendon repair. The goal of this study is to advance tendon tissue engineering by developing a scaffold that promotes tendon regeneration and interface healing. We first assessed 3DMB scaffolds for their suitability in tendon repair. Next, we applied mechanical stimulation to enhance tendon matrix production and simulate in vivo conditions. Finally, we aimed to stimulate development of the tendon-to-bone interface by encouraging trifunctional matrix synthesis through the combination of scaffold, tendon- and cartilage-derived matrix, and demineralized bone, providing stem cell substrates that guide differentiation into the various cell types of the native enthesis. Together, this body of work introduces translational strategies that advance the field of tendon tissue engineering and support the development of more effective treatments for tendon injuries. -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list@ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list