Guilak Lab
Principal Investigator: Farshid Guilak
Institution: Washington University in St. Louis (Saint Louis, MO)
Primary Subfield: Genetics/Genomics
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Abstract Arthritis-related conditions occur in over 1 in 5 adults, and the prevalence is increasing. Current approaches to modulate endogenous inflammatory mediators in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) predispose patients to significant adverse effects (AEs), such as infection, when anti-cytokine biologic drugs are delivered continually at fixed doses. As the severity of RA fluctuates over time, development of specific therapeutic strategies that can sense and respond to varying levels of endogenous inflammatory mediators by producing correspondingly appropriate levels of anti-cytokine drugs represents an attractive alternative approach that may mitigate AEs induced by continuous biologic administration. The goal of this project is to used genetically engineered stem cells to create bioartificial implants for biologic drug delivery as a therapy for RA. By combining principles of synthetic biology and tissue engineering, we will develop stem cells that respond to specific pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha by producing targeted anti-cytokine drugs in a feedback-controlled, self-regulating, and multiplexed manner. A primary focus…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R01AR080902-05: Genetically-engineered stem cells for self-regulating arthritis therapy (2026)
- 3R01AR080902-05S1: Genetically-engineered stem cells for self-regulating arthritis therapy (2026)
- 5R01AR080902-04: Genetically-engineered stem cells for self-regulating arthritis therapy (2025)
- 3R01AR080902-04S1: Genetically-engineered stem cells for self-regulating arthritis therapy (2025)
- 5R01AR072999-05: Deconstructing Cartilage Mechanotransduction by Piezo Channels (2024)
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