The group focuses on three main aspects of tissue engineering: stem cells, genes and biomaterials. The group has developed substantial expertise in skeletal tissue injury models in rodents, which include critical size bone defects, chondral and osteochondral defects and tendon tears in mice and rats. Furthermore, the lab is a pioneer in the use of molecular and micro imaging in skeletal repair. Role and contribution: isolation and genetic engineering of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), labelling of MSCs with nanoparticles, in vivo injection of labelled MSCs into rat intervertebral disc (IVD), generation of rat IVD degeneration, perform all molecular biology assays required for the invasive bio-distribution of MSCs at distant organs, including quantitative RT-PCR.
Dan GazitPh.D., D.M.D. is the Head of the Skeletal Biotech Lab and Director of the Hebrew University Center for Converging Sciences and Technologies. Prof. Gazit is an expert in tissue engineering and has pioneered the use of genetically modified mesechymal stem cells for skeletal tissue regeneration. Prof. Gazit was also among the first to utilize micro and molecular imaging in the field of stem cell-based tissue repair. He is in charge of overseeing the experimental plan, data analysis and publications.