Liisa T. Kuhn, Ph.D.

Kuhn Laboratory Research Interests

Biomaterials for:

• drug delivery (e.g., anti-cancer drugs, osteogenic agents)
• scaffolds to support tissue regeneration
• stem cell expansion and differentiation
  
  

Specific Projects

Implant Guided Bone Growth Mediated by Local Delivery of Osteogenic Agents
The purpose of this research is to develop dental implant guided bone augmentation procedures for the reconstruction of the resorbed alveolar ridge of the mandible. This work is done in collaboration with Dr. Martin Freilich, Dr. David Shafer, and Dr. Robert Kelly. Our goals are to deliver locally acting osteogenic agents from bioactive implant surfaces or scaffolds to guide new supracrestal alveolar bone formation at resorbed sites. Towards this end, we have recently developed novel study models utilizing both miniaturized and full sized titanium implant components to deliver osteogenic agents or stabilize scaffolds for guiding the growth of a new layer of intramembraneous bone. We first complete in vitro drug release studies to ensure active growth factor release, and then test the dental implant systems in small and large animals to prove efficacy.

Tissue Engineering
In collaboration with Dr. A. Jon Goldberg we are studying how tissue engineering scaffolds can be designed to influence the development of human embryonic stem cells. This project is part of a large program lead by Dr. David Rowe on directing hES derived progenitor cells into musculoskeletal lineages, funded by the Connecticut initiative on human embryonic stem cells. Hydroxyapatite and collagen-based scaffolds are prepared in the laboratory and characterized with SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, optical microscopy and profilometry. The response of various cell types to the scaffolds are monitored with traditional biochemical markers and novel GFP techniques.

Lymph Node Targeted Delivery of Anti-Cancer Agents
Calcium phosphates have long been used for medical applications because of their excellent biocompatibility, lack of toxicity, and osteoconductivity. My research is focussed on the use of calcium phosphate for the local delivery of chemotherapy drugs. We use a three-fold approach to developing drug delivery systems from calcium phosphate particulates: (a) in vitro drug binding and release studies, (b) in vitro cytotoxicity assays with cancer cell lines, and (c) in vivo mouse models for evaluating inhibition of tumor growth, metastasis, and reduced systemic toxicity. Our most recent results indicate that our injectable calcium phosphate/cisplatin nanoconjugates can inhibit mouse breast cancer lymph node metastasis as effectively as a systemic dose with fewer toxic side effects.

Recent Publications

L.T. Turner, R. Yadav, T.V. Rajan, A.T. Vella, and L.T. Kuhn, Effects of the Physico-Chemical Nature of Two Biomimetic Crystals on the Innate Immune Response. Int. Immunopharmacology 7: 1617-1629 (2007).

X. Cheng and L.T. Kuhn. Chemotherapy Drug Delivery from Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles, Int. J. of Nanomedicine. 2(4):667-674 (2007).

L.T. Kuhn, Biomaterials, Chapter 6 in Introduction to Biomedical Engineering, Eds. JD Enderle, S Blanchard, and JD Bronzino, Elsevier, 2005.

M.A. Freilich, M. Wei, S. Iddir, L.T. Kuhn, and D.M. Shafer, "Improvement of Alveolar Bone Height Using Novel Graft Placement", Key Eng. Mater. (Proceedings of Bioceramics 17 Conference), 284-286, 889-892 (2005).

A. Barroug, L.T. Kuhn, L.C. Gerstenfeld, M.J. Glimcher. Interactions of cisplatin with calcium phosphate nanoparticles: in vitro controlled adsorption and release, J. Ortho. Res. 22:703-708 (2004).

W. Tong, M.J. Glimcher, J.L. Katz, L.T. Kuhn, S.J. Eppell. Size and Shape of Mineralites in Young Bovine Bone Measured by Atomic Force Microscopy, Calcified Tissue International, 72: 592-598 (2003).

View more publications, see Pubmed listing.