BE Seminar – “Scaffold-Modulated Healing in Irradiated Bone” (Katie Hixon, Dartmouth Engineering)
February 27 at 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Bone is the third most common site for cancer metastasis, affecting ~66% of patients with common cancers—breast, lung, prostate, renal, thyroid—incurring skeletal events in up to 400,000 people in the US/year. Metastatic bone disease (MBD) results in weakened bone, leading to refractory pain and pathological fracture that increase disease state morbidity. Despite bone tissue’s dynamic nature and robust capability to remodel and regenerate following injury, MBD-affected bone does not heal according to normal principles, with average fracture healing rates for pathological fractures reported to be 8% at six months following injury. Further, the use of bone grafts for treatment offers additional complications including infection potential and donor site morbidity, where an improved treatment option is necessary. To combat this, cryogel scaffolds have been identified as ideal constructs to support bone formation following traumatic injury/disease. Preliminary work by our group has shown that cryogels do not lose their advantageous physical properties following radiation therapy (RT). Therefore, our overall premise is that MBD patients require alternative treatment options to i) improve bone formation and ii) accelerate healing. The central hypothesis of this study is that chitosan/gelatin cryogels will induce osseointegration and bone formation in MBD patients, while modulating tissue damage caused by RT. This hypothesis is based on current literature reviews, as well as previously published work by our group demonstrating cryogels and animal models for studying and improving bone formation. Our approach for creating a cost-effective, time-sensitive, and biologically improved targeted treatment option consists of optimized cryogel fabrication for MBD patients.
Katie Hixon, PhD
Assistant Professor of Engineering, Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthpaedics, Dartmouth Engineering
Dr. Katie Hixon earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Saint Louis University. Her research broadly included tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, focusing primarily on scaffold fabrication for the treatment of critical-size defects as well as craniofacial/maxillofacial congenital conditions. In 2018, Dr. Hixon began a post-doctoral position in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. She was awarded the NIH F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) to study bone healing following fracture and develop a clinically relevant animal model to test therapeutic interventions. Dr. Hixon joined Dartmouth College as an Assistant Professor of Engineering in January of 2022 and was recently appointed a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics in 2023. She is the principal investigator of the Hixon Lab which is focused on developing innovative treatments to support healing in patients where tissue repair is challenging, particularly large and complex injuries from disease or traumatic injury. Through inclusion of innovative therapies, such as using Manuka honey which has natural antibacterial properties, Professor Hixon’s research utilizes orthopaedic and craniofacial models to drive breakthroughs in musculoskeletal health. Her work seeks to enhance healing processes and improve the quality of life for patients facing these complex challenges.
Zoom Link (if unable to join): https://upenn.zoom.us/j/99998017231?pwd=t5qoo6pHqyGyP6tix8gLfC94IulvIk.1