CREST HBCU-RISE: Engineered Renal Tissue using an Artificial Intelligence-Driven Approach

CREST HBCU-RISE：使用人工智能驱动的方法设计肾组织

• 批准号: 2332041
• 负责人: Derrick Dean
• 金额: $ 120万
• 依托单位: Alabama State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2332041&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CREST; HBCU; RISE; Engineered; Renal

With support from the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology HBCU Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (CREST HBCU-RISE) this project aims to provide a fundamental understanding of how to incorporate artificial intelligence in the design of 3-dimensional scaffolds for renal tissue. Approximately 37 million people in the US suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD). This condition can progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD), which is irreversible, and can only be treated by dialysis or kidney replacement. Dialysis helps a person extend their life however their quality of life can be affected by various complications such as accelerated cardiac disease and infection rates. Replacement therapy is another option, however there is a serious shortage of donors. The importance of this project is that it will enable the design of more functional kidney tissue constructs for renal diseases.The goals of the project are: to use an artificial intelligence-driven approach to design and fabricate 3-D hydrogel scaffolds that mimic the architecture, composition, and functionality of the kidney; and to understand the effect of scaffold characteristics such as porosity, stiffness, and surface properties, on adhesion, morphology, and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into renal tissue. The project also seeks to provide interdisciplinary education and training opportunities to graduate students in the new PhD program in Integrative Engineering and Biosciences. This will help improve the research quality of the institution and can contribute to increased diversity in the STEM workforce. Professional development workshops and community outreach activities planned in the project could have significant impact on improving the quality of the graduate education offered at Alabama State University and it can also contribute to increased scientific awareness and curiosity in the local community. Findings will be disseminated through publications, conference presentations and a website for the project. The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology HBCU Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (CREST HBCU-RISE) program supports the expansion of institutional research capacity as well as the successful training of doctoral students, especially those from groups underrepresented in STEM at HBCUs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

在 HBCU 科学与工程研究基础设施 (CREST HBCU-RISE) 科学技术卓越研究中心 (CREST HBCU-RISE) 的支持下，该项目旨在提供对如何将人工智能纳入肾组织 3 维支架设计的基本了解。 美国约有 3700 万人患有慢性肾病 (CKD)。这种情况可能会发展为终末期肾病（ESRD），这是不可逆的，只能通过透析或肾脏替代治疗。 透析可以帮助人们延长寿命，但他们的生活质量可能会受到各种并发症的影响，例如加速心脏病和感染率。 替代疗法是另一种选择，但捐赠者严重短缺。该项目的重要性在于，它将能够设计出更多功能的肾组织结构来治疗肾脏疾病。该项目的目标是：使用人工智能驱动的方法来设计和制造模仿该架构的 3D 水凝胶支架肾脏的组成和功能；并了解支架特性（例如孔隙率、刚度和表面特性）对诱导多能干细胞向肾组织的粘附、形态和分化的影响。该项目还寻求为综合工程和生物科学新博士课程的研究生提供跨学科教育和培训机会。这将有助于提高该机构的研究质量，并有助于增加 STEM 劳动力的多样性。该项目中计划的专业发展研讨会和社区外展活动可能会对提高阿拉巴马州立大学研究生教育的质量产生重大影响，也有助于提高当地社区的科学意识和好奇心。研究结果将通过出版物、会议演示和项目网站进行传播。科学技术卓越研究中心 HBCU 科学与工程研究基础设施 (CREST HBCU-RISE) 计划支持扩大机构研究能力以及成功培训博士生，特别是来自 HBCU STEM 中代表性不足的群体的博士生。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。