Nathaniel Remlinger

Faculty Mentor: Thomas Gilbert

Research: Mr. Remlinger is developing a biologic, contractile tube that could be used to connect the inferior vena cava (IVC) to the pulmonary artery as performed during the "Fontan Procedure." Currently, this procedure is most commonly completed by suturing a polytetrafluoroethelene (PTFE, Gortex) tube from the IVC to the right pulmonary artery to reroute blood flow. However, this approach has several failure modes, including the lack of adequate growth potential, risk of thromboembolic events, and a 10-15 mmHg increase in peripheral vascular resistance. The objective of his research is essentially to replace a segment of the inferior vena cava with a contractile tube comprised of extracellular matrix and contractile cells in order to introduce a second pump to the system and reduce vascular resistance. The newly engineered vessel will ideally impart a force to the vessel in a peristaltic action when electrically stimulated. In other words, if successful, the biologic Fontan tube will promote the formation of heterotopic myocardial tissue in the IVC. He is also continuing a second study to evaluate cardiac ECM for myocardial reconstruction in a GFP chimera rat model. The study will show whether an organ-specific cardiac derived ECM patch improves formation of functional myocardial tissue versus a synthetic Dacron patch or a bladder derived extracellular matrix patch. In addition, the origin of cells that repopulate and remodel the matrix to form myocardial tissue will be assessed, with particular focus on bone marrow derived cells. An extension of the study is planned to assess degradation and remodeling of the cardiac ECM using radioactively labeled ECM with the SPECT imaging or ECM labeled with magnetic nanoparticles and imaged using MRI.    

Publications:  

• Wainwright JM, Hashizume R, Fujimoto KL, Remlinger NT, Pesyna C, Wagner WR, Tobita K, Gilbert TW, Badylak SF. "Right ventricular outflow tract repair with a cardiac biologic scaffold". Cell Tissue Organ195(): 159-170, 2012 
• Remlinger NT, Czajka CA, Juhas ME, Vorp DA, Stolz DB, Badylak SF, Gilbert S, Gilbert TW. "Hydrated Xenogenic decellularized tracheal matrix as a scaffold for tracheal reconstruction". Biomaterials31(13): 3520-3526, 2010  
• Remlinger NT, Gilbert TW, Yoshida M, Guest BN, Hashizume R, Weaver ML, Wagner WR, Brown BN, Tobita K, Wearden PD, "Urinary bladder matrix promotes site appropriate tissue formation following right ventricle outflow tract repair."  Organogenesis:  9: 37-48. 2013. 
• Remlinger NT, Wearden PD, Gilbert TW.  Journal of Visualized Experiments : 70. 2012.

Conferences:  

• University of Pittsburgh Department of Pathology Retreat, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 06/1/2011
• University of Pittsburgh Cellular Approaches to Tissue Engineering and Regeneration (CATER) Seminar, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 12/1/2010
• University of Pittsburgh Department of Pathology Retreat, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 06/1/2010
• Proceedings of the Midwest Tissue Engineering Consortium, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 04/1/2009
• Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Meeting, Orlando , FL, USA, 12/1/2010
• Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Meeting, Houston, TX, USA, 12/1/2011
  • Remlinger NT, "Regenerative Medicine Strategies for Congenital Heart Defects."