The Laboratory of Orthopaedic Tissue Regeneration and Orthobiologics (OrthO-X) Lab focuses on the development of regenerative medicine technologies used to restore the anatomy and physiology of damaged or diseased musculoskeletal tissues. Their approach involves engineering biomaterials that mimic the native tissue micro-architecture and serve as support structures for various cell sources, including primary cells derived from orthopaedic tissues as well as different populations of stem cells.
Current Projects: solubilized bovine nucleus pulposus as a treatment for intervertebral disc degeneration, the effects of cigarette smoking on synovial inflammation and progression of osteoarthritis, biomaterial development for orthopaedic implants
Website: https://cecas.clemson.edu/orthoxlab/MercuriHome.html
The Drug Design, Development, and Delivery (4D) Lab's mission is to alleviate pathological conditions and promote functional tissue regeneration through biomaterial-based synthesis, formulation, and delivery of therapeutic compounds. Our research focuses on understanding drug and gene delivery in biological systems and developing new therapeutics and biomaterials for the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases.
We are currently working on investigating delivery strategies using polymeric nanoparticles to stimulate central nervous system regeneration after trauma or degenerative disease and to treat cancers, including drug-resistant breast cancer and brain and spinal tumors. We are working on developing drugs for targeted delivery to the colon to treat various colonic diseases, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and colorectal cancer. We are also developing drug-loaded medical devices, such as surgical sutures, tissue adhesives, and drug-eluting stents.
Website: https://cecas.clemson.edu/4DLab/LeeHome.html
The laboratory for Retrieval Research and Reprocessing of Medical Devices, or RE-MED, is housed at the Clemson University Biomedical Engineering Innovation Campus in Greenville, South Carolina. RE-MED represents an intersection of medicine and technology, providing a link between medical professionals, engineers and innovators. Under the leadership of Melinda Harman, RE-MED undergraduate and graduate students work together with clinical and industrial collaborators toward a joint mission.
The mission of RE-MED is to improve the safety and effectiveness of medical device technology, focusing on systematic assessments that foster biomedical innovation. RE-MED scientists use quantitative metrology and proven scientific methods to evaluate medical device technology. Assessments occur during various stages of development and under end-use diagnostic and treatment conditions. Reports generated from RE-MED provide mechanisms for continuous feedback to the medical device field, involving healthcare, manufacturing and regulatory sectors.
Website: https://cecas.clemson.edu/remed/HarmanHome.html
Research Platforms and Innovations
OrthoWatch: OrthoWatch is a post-marketing surveillance program integrating performance evaluations of joint prostheses with clinical outcomes and implant retrieval analysis.
GreenMD: GreenMD is an engineering research and training program focused on optimizing medical device designs for reprocessing and reuse and promoting medical device sustainability.
Clemson University's unique strengths in biomaterials and tissue engineering are complemented by expertise in medicine and developmental biology at the Medical University of South Carolina and at the University of South Carolina to establish a Bioengineering Center for Regeneration and Formation of Tissues (SC BioCRAFT) at Clemson University
The SC TRIMH Center, a National Institutes of Health Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) funded by NIH/NIGMS (P20GM121342) in 2018 and currently in its Phase 2, is dedicated to enhancing and expanding the Biomedical Research capacity at Clemson University and the state of South Carolina to promote outstanding multidisciplinary, collaborative, and translational research in musculoskeletal and related diseases.