Our Research
Mission: Engineering biomaterial models to leverage the regenerative potential of the immune system across health inequities
We execute on our mission by developing compassionate innovators equipped to transform biomedical research.
Find updates on our recent publications in Google Scholar. If you cannot access any of our publications, please email emt[at]umd.edu and we will provide a copy!
Immune vascular interactions in lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a medical condition in which the immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues in the body. It affects approximately 1.5 million people in the United States, with women of color being 2-3 times more likely to develop and die from SLE than other groups. One complication of SLE is vasculitis, inflammation of the blood vessels, which progresses more rapidly due to interactions between the immune system and blood vessel lining. Detecting vasculitis in the early stages can be challenging because the symptoms are often subtle and nonspecific. To improve early detection, we are using biomaterial models to study how immune cells interact with blood vessels in SLE patients. By studying these interactions, we hope to identify new ways to detect and treat vasculitis in its early stages. Because SLE is a health disparity, we are also studying how a patient's background, such as their race and ethnicity, can influence their immune cell function and the development of vascular inflammation. By better understanding these factors, we hope to develop more targeted and effective models for SLE and its complications.
Reviving Macrophages for Effective Tissue Regeneration in Aging - Insights from Biomaterial Models
Over 700 million people worldwide are 65 years or older, and as we age, our ability to heal decreases. Macrophages, immune cells that play a crucial role in tissue regeneration, also become less effective with age. To better understand this process, we are designing a biomaterial model system to investigate how the age of macrophages affects macrophages' ability to support tissue healing. We are also interested in using our model system to explore potential therapeutic interventions that can improve macrophage function. By focusing on tissue regeneration in aging, we hope to gain insights into how macrophages change over time and identify ways to rescue their function using targeted therapies. Our work will shed light on this critical aspect of the aging process and pave the way for more effective treatments in the future.
Overlooking Ancestry in Regenerative Medicine - Addressing Health Inequities through Biomaterial Models
Everyone's health is influenced by their background, both genetics and lived experiences. However, most regenerative medicine research focuses on people of European descent, which overlooks the impact of ancestry on disease development and wound healing. To fill this gap, we use biomaterial models to understand how ancestry affects innate immune cellular responses in wound healing. By studying these interactions, we aim to identify wound healing risks and outcomes for people from systemically excluded backgrounds. Our research introduces a new perspective on health inequities, bringing attention to the systemic exclusion of oppressed and excluded communities in biomedical science. Ultimately, we hope to use our findings to develop more personalized and effective treatments for all individuals.
Decoding the Signals - How the Extracellular Matrix Directs Macrophage Behavior for Tissue Regeneration
Macrophage immune cells play a vital role in tissue homeostasis, wound healing, and tissue regeneration, but we still have much to learn about how they function. Specifically, we are interested in understanding how the extracellular matrix (ECM) influences macrophage behavior. To do this, we design biomaterial tools to study how different ECM components, known as ECM ligands, direct macrophage function. By investigating how the composition of the ECM affects macrophage activation and homeostasis, we hope to better understand the signals that control tissue regeneration. Ultimately, our work could lead to new strategies for promoting tissue repair and healing.
PAPERS PUBLISHED:
A complete list of all our publications can be found on Google Scholar
Cosgriff-Hernandez EM, Aguado BA, Akpa B, Fleming GC, Moore E, Porras AM, Boyle PM, Chan DD, Chesler N, Christman KL, Desai TA, Harley BAC, Hudalla GA, Killian ML, Maisel K, Maitland KC, Peyton SR, Pruitt BL, Stabenfeldt SE, Stevens KR, Bowden AK. Equitable hiring strategies towards a diversified faculty. Nat Biomed Eng. 2023;7(9):961-968. doi:10.1038/s41551-023-00887-5
Dill MN, Tabatabaei M, Kamat M, Basso KB, Moore E, et al. (2023) Generation and characterization of two immortalized dermal fibroblast cell lines from the spiny mouse (Acomys). PLOS ONE 18(7): e0280169. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280169
Jha, A., Larkin, J., Moore, E., SOCS1-KIR peptide in PEDGA Hydrogels Reduces Pro-Inflammatory Macrophage Activation. Macromol. Biosci. 2023, 2300237. https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.202300237
Maestas D, Chung L, Han J, Wang X, Sommerfield S, Kelly S, Moore E, Nguyen H, Mejias J, Pena A, Zhang H, Hooks J, Chin A, Andorko J, Berlinicke C, Krishnan K, Choi Y, Anderson A, Mahatme R, Mejia C, Eric M, Woo J, Ganguly S, Zack D, Zhao L, Pearce E, Housseau F, Pardoll D, Elisseeff J. Helminth egg derivatives as proregenerative immunotherapies. Proceedings of National Academies. Published online Feb 13 2023. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2211703120
O’Connor C, Brady E, Zheng Y, Moore E, Stevens KR. Engineering the multiscale complexity of vascular networks. Nat Rev Mater. Published online 2022. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-022-00447-8
Silberman J, Boehlein J, Abbate T, Moore E: A Biomaterial Model to Assess the Effects of Age in Vascularization. Cells Tissues Organs 2022. doi: 10.1159/000523859. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35249009/
PDF: https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/523859
Ryan H, Morel L and Moore E. Vascular inflammation in mouse models of systemic lupus erythematosus. Front Cardiovasc Med 9:767450 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.767450
Moore E. The debt trap. Science (80- ). 2022;375(6582):790-790. doi:10.1126/science.ada1184, PMID: 35175812.
Jha A, Moore E. Collagen-derived peptide, DGEA, inhibits pro-inflammatory macrophages in biofunctional hydrogels. J Mater Res 37, 77–87 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43578-021-00423-y
PDF: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1557/s43578-021-00423-y.pdf
Moore, EM, Maestas Jr, DR, Cherry CC, Garcia JA, Comeau HY, Huyer LD, Blosser RL, Rosson GD, Elisseeff JH, Biomaterials direct functional B cell response in a material specific manner, Science Advances, 2021, eabj5830, V 7, N 49, doi:10.1126/sciadv.abj5830.
Moore E, Allen JB, Mulligan CJ, Wayne EC. Ancestry of cells must be considered in bioengineering. Nat Rev Mater. 2021; 0123456789:1-3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-021-00397-7
Ryan H, Bister D, Holliday SA, et al. Ancestral background is underreported in regenerative engineering. Regen Eng Transl Med (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40883-021-00237-8
PDF: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40883-021-00237-8.pdf
Ludtka C, Moore E, Allen JB. The effects of simulated microgravity on macrophage phenotype. Biomedicines 9(9):1205 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9091205 https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9091205
PDF: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-021-00141-z.pdf
Ludtka C, Silberman J, Moore E, et al. Macrophages in microgravity: the impact of space on immune cells. npj Microgravity 7, 13 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-021-00141-z
PDF: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-021-00141-z.pdf
Silberman J, Jha A, Ryan H, Abbate T, Moore E. Modeled vascular microenvironments: immune-endothelial cell interactions in vitro. Drug Deliv and Transl Res (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13346-021-00970-1
PDF: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13346-021-00970-1.pdf
Moore E, Maestas Jr. D R, Cherry CC, et al. Biomaterials direct functional B cell response in a material-specific manner. Sci Adv, 7(49) (2021).
PDF: https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/sciadv.abj5830
Moore E. The more mentors, the merrier. Science (New York, NY) 371.6536 (2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.371.6536.1398
PDF: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/371/6536/1398.full.pdf
Moore EM and West JL. Harnessing macrophages for vascularization in tissue engineering. Ann Biomed Eng 47: 354-365 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-018-02170-4
PDF: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10439-018-02170-4.pdf
Moore EM and West JL. Bioactive poly (ethylene glycol) acrylate hydrogels for regenerative engineering. Regen Eng Transl Med (2018): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40883-018-0074-y
PDF: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40883-018-0074-y.pdf
Moore EM, Suresh V, Ying G and West JL. “M0 and M2 macrophages enhance vascularization of tissue engineering scaffolds.” Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine 4, no. 2 (2018): 51-61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40883-018-0048-0
PDF: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40883-018-0048-0.pdf
Moore EM, Ying G, and West JL. “Macrophages influence vessel formation in 3D bioactive hydrogels.” Advanced Biosystems 1.3 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1002/adbi.201600021
PDF: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/adbi.201600021
Nsiah BA, Moore EM, Roudsari LC, Virdone NK, and West JL. “Angiogenesis in hydrogel biomaterials.” Biosynthetic Polymers for Medical Applications. Woodhead Publishing, 2016. 189-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-78242-105-4.00008-0
Peters EB, Christoforou N, Moore E, West JL, and Truskey GA. “CD45+ cells present within mesenchymal stem cell populations affect network formation of blood-derived endothelial outgrowth cells.” BioResearch open access 4, no. 1 (2015): 75-88. https://doi.org/10.1089/biores.2014.0029
PDF: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/biores.2014.0029
Hutton DL, Kondragunta R, Moore EM, et al. Tumor Necrosis Factor Improves Vascularization in Osteogenic Grafts Engineered with Human Adipose-Derived Stem/Stromal Cells. PloS one. 9(9): e107199. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107199
PDF: shorturl.at/anyRX