MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Abstract: Tissue engineering is becoming a more prevalent solution in the medical community, and thankfully so because it is effective, long lasting, and rarely results in adverse effects. However, tissue engineering is not yet highly understood for use in the central nervous system (CNS), particularly the brain, which is resulting in the under-utilization of this novel technique. Therefore, I propose a study of how a synthetic polymer could facilitate neurite outgrowth along a path that is determined by the reception of electronic signals, rather than growth along a path that is predetermined by the fibers. Having neurite outgrowth respond to electronic signals is more mimetic of what occurs in the brain because doctors and scientists do not know exactly where the paths in the brain need to connect, and even if we did, we may not be able to design a network, a spider web, which is can produce patterns of nerve outgrowth that exact. If the scientists to not need to draw the map, meaning the neurons could guide each other’s growth through the firing of electronic signals, then repairs can begin despite technical limitations in our creation of scaffolds, and despite a limited understanding of how the brain works. Please join me in designing and different polymeric scaffolds and testing them in a solution which mimics the cerebrospinal fluid to explore the possibility of guiding neurite outgrowth with only electric signals, and testing how far apart signals can while still producing an effect on the receiving cell.

Reader’s Response: The director of materials engineering is more in favor of science than engineering, so he will probably challenge this proposal.

You are targeting a nice problem, but you are jumping too far ahead of yourself. It is not logical to test a new material by using it. You must explore and quantify all of the properties of the biomimetic scaffold before you can begin testing its uses in a structured form and immersive environment. There are too many unknowns which could actually be determining the level of success you experience, it may not be a result of the material.

I am so sorry for the delay! I wrote this and tried to post it on Friday, but I forgot to prove that I was not a robot, even after we discussed that issue in class.

Rework the title to fit this context. Looks like a good plan. How did the presentation go?

Did the DME react this way?