[{"id":1629,"date":"2026-05-20T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1629"},"modified":"2026-05-19T15:21:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T15:21:23","slug":"vcu-innovation-may-prevent-scar-tissue-and-advance-joint-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/05\/20\/vcu-innovation-may-prevent-scar-tissue-and-advance-joint-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU innovation may prevent scar tissue and advance joint surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The College of Engineering\u2019s Barbara Boyan is leading a new approach to arthrofibrosis that could have a wide-ranging impact on musculoskeletal health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By John Battiston<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As patients recover from joint surgery or traumatic injury, the body\u2019s repair process might go into overdrive, producing excessive scar tissue inside the joint. The result \u2013 arthrofibrosis \u2013 can lead to pain, stiffness and a loss of mobility that is difficult to reverse once it begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite how common and debilitating arthrofibrosis can be, there are currently no reliable ways to predict who will develop it, nor any effective treatments once it takes hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce it\u2019s underway, it\u2019s pretty much underway,\u201d said Barbara D. Boyan<\/a>, Ph.D., executive director of Virginia Commonwealth University\u2019s Institute for Engineering and Medicine<\/a> and the Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Professor in the College of Engineering\u2019s Department of Biomedical Engineering<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boyan and her team at VCU\u2019s Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Research and Innovation<\/a> are taking a novel approach. Rather than attempting to treat arthrofibrosis after scar tissue has formed, their innovation focuses on preventing it from developing in the first place, intervening at the moment when inflammation begins \u2013 during joint surgery itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If successful, the impact could be felt far beyond individual patients \u2013 reshaping standards of care, reducing the need for follow-up surgeries and improving quality of life for countless people recovering from joint procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A breakthrough in gel form<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The work builds on years of foundational research conducted at LMRI, where Boyan\u2019s group studies disorders of the musculoskeletal system, including bones, cartilage and joints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long before their current intervention took shape, the lab had identified unresolved inflammation as a key driver of fibrotic scar formation. The team was also intrigued by evidence showing that arthrofibrosis occurs more frequently and more severely in women, suggesting underlying biological differences in immune response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A breakthrough came with the development of ClickGel, an injectable biomaterial originally designed for neurosurgical applications by Pascal Medical Corp., which Boyan co-founded. ClickGel is delivered as a liquid and then rapidly forms a stable matrix in the body, allowing it to remain precisely where it is placed without interfering with surrounding tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pascal won an $800,000 state grant<\/a> in 2025 to support ClickGel\u2019s development, while VCU TechTransfer and Ventures<\/a> helped Boyan\u2019s team protect their intellectual property and connected them to business advisors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe looked at ClickGel\u2019s properties and how it\u2019s very easy to inject compared to other carrier systems,\u201d Boyan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
ClickGel is delivered as a liquid and then rapidly forms a stable matrix in the body, allowing it to remain precisely where it is placed without interfering with surrounding tissue. (John Battiston)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ideal time and place for treatment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

She and her team then had the idea to place an anti-inflammatory therapeutic in the gel that would prevent arthrofibrosis, then inject the substance into the joint of a surgery patient before anesthesia wears off. By resolving inflammation early, the intervention aims to stop the cascade that leads to excessive scar formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous attempts to address arthrofibrosis have fallen short for various reasons. Anti-inflammatory drugs injected on their own disperse too quickly to be effective. Other carrier materials have struggled with the tight physical constraints of joint spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhatever you put in the joint has to be a liquid when it goes in, and it has to then firm up without interfering with articulating joints,\u201d Boyan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her approach overcomes these challenges by combining an injectable gel with sustained local delivery of lipid nanoparticles to deliver microRNAs that regulate inflammation and collagen production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Progress toward commercialization<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The project recently received support from the TechTransfer and Ventures Commercialization Fund, which will help advance the technology toward clinical use. ClickGel has already been designated by the Food and Drug Administration as a medical device and is on its way to commercialization as a dural sealant at Pascal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first thing we have to do is get approval to use ClickGel in humans as a device without any additions added,\u201d Boyan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once approved, her team can pursue a combination product that incorporates anti-inflammatory therapeutics for joint applications, a process she estimates could take about five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commercialization effort is supported by ongoing collaboration with TechTransfer and Ventures, part of VCU\u2019s Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation<\/a>. Director of Licensing Magdalena K. Morgan, Ph.D., works closely with Boyan\u2019s team to align scientific development with regulatory and market realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDr. Boyan\u2019s approach is a perfect example of strategic innovation,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cBy taking a device that is already moving through the FDA pipeline and adapting it for therapeutic delivery, the team is significantly shortening the path to getting a solution into the hands of surgeons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team bridges research and medicine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working directly on the arthrofibrosis intervention project with Boyan are D. Joshua Cohen<\/a>, M.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and LMRI doctoral student Kait Hosmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a physician-scientist, Cohen \u2013 who also serves as an animal models consultant with Pascal \u2013 combines clinical perspective with deep musculoskeletal and biomaterials knowledge to inform real-world surgical integration. He is a co-inventor of the technology and has developed the model systems the team is using to design and validate its use to prevent arthrofibrosis. Hosmer, meanwhile, contributes to experimental design and translational research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boyan and her collaborators envision a future in which arthrofibrosis is no longer an accepted risk of joint surgery but a complication that can be proactively avoided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPascal\u2019s hydrogel is an exceptional platform for delivering therapeutics that need to work locally and over sustained periods of time,\u201d Boyan said. \u201cIf we find that it enables us to develop a treatment that prevents or reduces fibrosis in joints, we will be able to tackle a lot of problems plaguing musculoskeletal health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Originally posted on VCU News: https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/vcu-innovation-may-prevent-scar-tissue-and-advance-joint-surgery<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The College of Engineering\u2019s Barbara Boyan is leading a new approach to arthrofibrosis that could have a wide-ranging impact on musculoskeletal health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1630,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[11,1151,1158,1164,1165,1166],"class_list":["post-1629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bme","tag-barbara-d-boyan","tag-hm","tag-institute-for-engineering-and-medicine","tag-josh-cohen","tag-laboratory-for-musculoskeletal-research-and-innovation","tag-vcu-techtransfer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1621,"date":"2026-05-19T17:18:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:18:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1621"},"modified":"2026-05-19T17:18:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:18:49","slug":"new-bachelor-of-science-in-robotics-and-autonomous-systems-engineering-launches-at-vcu-college-of-engineering-in-fall-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/05\/19\/new-bachelor-of-science-in-robotics-and-autonomous-systems-engineering-launches-at-vcu-college-of-engineering-in-fall-of-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"New Bachelor of Science in Robotics and Autonomous Systems Engineering launches at VCU College of Engineering in fall of 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The degree path addresses the growing demand for interdisciplinary experience needed in advanced AI and automation industries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first undergraduate degree for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Engineering in the Commonwealth of Virginia will launch at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering this fall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advances in AI and automation are growing the demand for engineers who can design, integrate and deploy robotic and autonomous systems across industries like manufacturing, healthcare, defense and transportation. The global robotics market is projected to grow from $11.5 billion to $78.8 billion by 2033. Virginia alone is forecasted to add more than 10,000 jobs in aerospace and unmanned systems over the next decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our duty as educators to look forward and imagine what the future needs of industry will be in order to prepare our students for that world,\u201d said Azim Eskandarian, D.Sc.<\/a>, the Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Dean of the VCU College of Engineering. \u201cWe have created a unique, project-based program. Our specialty courses in robotics and autonomous systems are designed to be project-based, allowing graduates to engage in creative, hands-on learning. The fundamental prerequisite courses are taught conventionally to provide a strong math, science and engineering foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four\u2011year Bachelor of Science requires 121 credit hours and includes a two\u2011semester senior capstone where students design and build working robotic or autonomous systems. It will be taught by faculty from electrical and computer engineering, mechanical and nuclear engineering and computer science, highlighting the importance of the cross-disciplinary skillset necessary for this advanced career path. Three new full-time faculty will join the College of Engineering to support this degree, complementing existing faculty expertise, and a dedicated instructional robotics lab will accompany the program\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Courses in mechatronics, robotics, feedback control, artificial intelligence and embedded systems form the core of the B.S. in Robotics and Autonomous Systems Engineering, along with foundational math and computer science prerequisites. Hands-on, project-based learning emulates the kind of environment students will work in as full-time engineers after graduation. Ethics and systems-thinking coursework round out the program\u2019s offerings, teaching students to be adaptable in a rapidly changing field where innovation is key to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe expect our first RAS Engineering class to graduate in the spring of 2030, and will seek ABET accreditation soon after,\u201d said Eskandarian. \u201cBy late 2031 we hope to have a program students and industry can count on to lead the field of robotics and autonomous systems to a future with limitless potential. The purpose of our Bachelor of Science in Robotics and Autonomous Systems Engineering is to create an interdisciplinary, real-world educational experience for students that prepares them for life after graduation. It also creates a talent pipeline for our many industry partners who need this expertise to remain competitive in the marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The VCU College of Engineering offers innovative undergraduate<\/a> and graduate<\/a> degree programs tailored to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving engineering field. As part of a premier research university, students are given the opportunity to perform real-world research<\/a> in our state-of-the-art facilities as soon as they enroll. Browse videos and recent news to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University<\/a> prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The degree path addresses the growing demand for interdisciplinary experience needed in advanced AI and automation industries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1829,"featured_media":1622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,30,6],"tags":[1150,25,1135],"class_list":["post-1621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cs","category-ece","category-general-college","category-mne","tag-aasc","tag-azim-eskandarian","tag-robotics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1829"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1621"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1621\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1626,"date":"2026-05-18T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1626"},"modified":"2026-05-15T14:42:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T14:42:53","slug":"class-of-2026-a-ram-even-in-high-school-jessica-nguyen-will-carry-vcu-spirit-into-graduate-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/05\/18\/class-of-2026-a-ram-even-in-high-school-jessica-nguyen-will-carry-vcu-spirit-into-graduate-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of 2026: A Ram even in high school, Jessica Nguyen will carry VCU spirit into graduate school"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The McNair Scholar and biomedical engineering graduate now heads to Texas A&M for her Ph.D. program.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Anastasia Mineiro<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By earning her undergraduate degree this spring, Jessica Nguyen completed her sixth year at Virginia Commonwealth University\u2019s College of Engineering<\/a>. But that lengthy time span reflects dedication, not delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nguyen has been a Ram since her junior year of high school as a fellow of the Dean\u2019s Early Research Initiative, which instilled her interest in biomedical engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI loved my time at VCU through that program and decided to stay at VCU for my undergraduate degree,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now Nguyen will move on. She will pursue her Ph.D. in the field at Texas A&M University, with a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship<\/a> supporting her graduate work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But her path to doctoral studies was directly powered by her opportunities at VCU, which began in full in fall 2022 as she enrolled in the biomedical engineering<\/a> program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI came into college planning to pursue a pre-medicine track, but as I became more involved in research, I found that I genuinely loved the process of asking questions, working through challenges and contributing to something larger than myself,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her sophomore year, she joined VCU\u2019s McNair Scholars Program<\/a>. Offered through the Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success<\/a> division and its TRIO<\/a> office of federal support programs, McNair prepares underrepresented students for doctoral programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nguyen was grateful for the program\u2019s guidance and preparation as she pursued undergraduate research and applied to graduate school, but she also cited a more personal benefit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeyond the professional development aspect, McNair also gave me a strong sense of community,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing surrounded by mentors and peers who were all working toward similar goals created an environment that was both motivating and encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nguyen also found community through the Biomedical Engineering Society<\/a>, and she has served as president of VCU\u2019s student chapter. In 2024, she attended the national BMES annual meeting and cites it as one of her favorite memories at VCU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were able to spend quality time with our faculty members and connect with students from BMES chapters across the country, which eventually led to multiple interchapter collaborations over the past two years!\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cIt was the perfect mix of professional opportunities and genuinely fun memories with people who made my time at VCU so special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nguyen has given back to the VCU community through the Teddy Bear Hospital<\/a> project. The nonprofit focuses on alleviating children\u2019s anxiety in medical environments by \u201ctreating\u201d their stuffed animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was inspired to start a chapter at VCU because of my own interests in medicine, education and community outreach,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to create something that extended beyond campus and allowed us to connect directly with the local community in a meaningful way. There\u2019s often a gap in early exposure to health care and STEM, especially in a way that feels accessible and engaging for younger students, and this felt like a small but impactful way to address that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With graduate studies and her research fellowship awaiting, Nguyen is grateful for her VCU experience \u2013 from her faculty mentors to the larger spirit of the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVCU has such a vibrant and encouraging environment,\u201d she said, \u201cand I\u2019ve been really lucky to be surrounded by people who genuinely want to see each other succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Originally posted on VCU News: https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/a-ram-even-in-high-school-jessica-nguyen-will-carry-vcu-spirit-into-graduate-school<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The McNair Scholar and biomedical engineering graduate now heads to Texas A&M for her Ph.D. program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1627,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,13,1127],"tags":[1220,1151],"class_list":["post-1626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bme","category-students","category-ugrad","tag-biomedical-engineering-society","tag-hm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1623,"date":"2026-05-14T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1623"},"modified":"2026-05-13T16:07:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T16:07:27","slug":"vcu-biomedical-engineer-advances-muscle-regeneration-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/05\/14\/vcu-biomedical-engineer-advances-muscle-regeneration-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU biomedical engineer advances muscle regeneration technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Michael McClure\u2019s method could treat traumatic injuries, and he is expanding its focus to integrate the nervous system.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Jeff Kelley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael McClure still has a ways to go, but after more than a decade working on a novel regenerative therapy for severe muscle injuries, the Virginia Commonwealth University biomedical engineer says his team is closer than ever to bringing the trauma-repairing technology to human patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McClure<\/a>, Ph.D., an associate professor in the College of Engineering\u2019s Department of Biomedical Engineering<\/a>, has been developing a method to regenerate muscle tissue lost to traumatic injuries. The approach relies on decellularization, a process that removes living cells from donor muscle while preserving the underlying biological structure that tells new tissue how to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That structure, known as the extracellular matrix, retains the physical architecture and biochemical signals of muscle. Instead of transplanting foreign cells, the approach gives the body a blueprint it can use to rebuild tissue on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDecellularization is really just washing out the cells and leaving behind the scaffold that the cells were attached to before,\u201d McClure said. \u201cThat scaffold becomes the regenerative product.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If successful, the scaffolds could help people recover from devastating injuries that remove large portions of muscle, including blast injuries suffered in combat, car accidents and gunshot wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe goal is to implant these grafts into patients with severe muscle injuries and have them regenerate new muscle,\u201d McClure said. \u201cThese are injuries where a significant amount of tissue is lost, and the body just can\u2019t regenerate that on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He hopes the grafts will eventually be used to treat patients with volumetric muscle loss, a condition where the body cannot naturally regenerate enough tissue to restore function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n