MEDIA ADVISORY: University of Pittsburgh to Host Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting Oct. 8 through 10
WHAT: The 2009 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) annual meeting, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh, will share the latest research findings on biomedical research and development.
WHO: Researchers, clinicians and engineers from various academic, health care and professional organizations worldwide.
WHEN: Oct. 8 through 10, 2009 (Specific times listed below)
WHERE: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Ft. Duquesne Blvd., Downtown Pittsburgh. A press room will be located in Room 322, overlooking the Exhibit Hall.
WHY: The meeting will showcase more than 1,200 sessions, with nearly 200 of those involving Pitt research. All BMES sessions are open to media. For more information about the meeting, please visit the Biomedical Engineering Society Web site.
Below are highlights on four sessions:
Researchers explore potential low back pain treatment – Pitt researchers are exploring a gene therapy treatment that could one day benefit those who suffer from low back pain related to intervertebral disc degeneration, a condition found in more than 80 percent of Americans over age 50. In an animal model they developed, injured discs that were injected with a growth factor gene therapy showed improved biomechanics compared to untreated controls. Led by James Kang, M.D., Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, additional authors include Gwendolyn Sowa, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; and Robert Hartman and Kevin Bell, Department of Bioengineering. Poster Session 8A-179: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 8
Creating synthetic bone for regenerative purposes – A team led by Prashant N. Kumta, Ph.D., and Edward R. Weiland, Pitt Department of Bioengineering and School of Dental Medicine, will describe the synthesis of a novel, porous bone substitute that handles and sets like conventional cement and also induces bone regeneration for orthopaedic and craniofacial applications. New bone growth was evident eight weeks after the material was used to treat bone defects in animal models. Oral Presentation 9-1-3D: 11:30 a.m., Oct. 9
Building replacement blood vessels with synthetic scaffolds and stem cells – David Vorp, Ph.D., Pitt Departments of Surgery and Bioengineering, and his team seeded biodegradable synthetic scaffolds with adult human stem cells isolated and grown from muscle, fat or capillaries in an effort to grow replacement blood vessels. Eight weeks after the seeded scaffolds were implanted in a rodent model, they appeared layered with endothelial and smooth muscle cells – the two primary cell types in arteries – and appropriate proteins, and most were open for blood flow. Oral Presentation 9-2-5D: 2 p.m., Oct. 9
The OCT-Penlight shines better light on eye surgery – Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University researchers are developing a tool with the potential to allow eye surgeons to easily identify hidden structures within opaque tissues, making surgery safer, faster and more accurate. Known as the OCT-Penlight, the tool employs optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology to project a high-resolution image directly over tissue surfaces. Led by George Stetten, M.D., Ph.D., this work is a collaboration between Pitt’s Departments of Ophthalmology and Bioengineering and CMU’s Robotics Institute. Poster Session 10A-30: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 10