TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | m a y 7, 2 0 1 4 36 What they learn now lasts a lifetime Medical Center Charter School Developing Minds and Nurturing Hearts Campus Tours Daily 9am 10420 Mullins, 77096 Meyerland Area www.mccs.cc 713.726.0223 Developing minds and nurturing hearts – what they learn now, lasts a lifetime. MEDICAL CENTER CHARTER SCHOOL Tuition free and open to all Attentive and highly qualified teachers Character training through literature Montessori PK-Grade 2 Early reading and writing Fine arts, sports, computers Spanish, French and Latin Outdoor education Extended day activities Campus open from 6am to 6:30pm Preparation for college begins now – applications now being accepted. Texas Medical Center Campus Grades PK-6 Campus tours daily 9:00 am 10420 Mullins Dr. Meyerland Area Director of Admissions: Christine Groenewold Principal: Suparna Vashisht 713.726.0223 Established 1996 www.mccs.cc Fannin St. Cheena Dr. Westbury Park Parker Elementary Creekbend Dr. Cheena Dr. Lymbar Dr. Mullins Dr. Willowbend Blvd. Saint Nicholas School More than academic excellence, Saint Nicholas School teaches a way of life Texas Medical Center Campus Grades PK-8 Campus Tours Daily 8:45 am 1920 N. Braeswood, 77030 Main at Greenbriar www.snschools.com Director of Admissions: Bernadette Castro 713.791.9977 Established 1987 For the personal attention they need to grow in mind and spirit More than academic excellence, Saint Nicholas School teaches a way of life. SAINT NICHOLAS SCHOOL Small classes Daily Chapel, Bible study Early reading and writing in English, Spanish, French & Latin Certified Montessori teachers for infants through Grade 2 Outdoor Education at the Lazy A Ranch Summer Camp for PK-8, field trips and equestrian camp at the IXL Ranch Campus open 6 am to 6 pm with extended day activities For the personal attention they need to grow in mind and spirit Texas Medical Center Campus Grades PK-8 Campus tours daily 8:45 am 1920 N. Braeswood Main at Greenbriar Director of Admissions, Bernadette Castro 713.791.9977 Established 1987 www.snschool.com Applications now being accepted! W. Holcombe Blvd. MAIN ST. Fannin St. Greenbriar St. Pressler Montclair Dr. N. Braeswood — susIe dIsteFano ceo of children's memorial hermann hospital S ynthetic collagen invented at Rice University may help wounds heal by directing the natural clotting of blood. The material, KOD, mimics natural collagen, a fibrous protein that binds cells together into organs and tissues. It could improve upon commercial sponges or therapies based on naturally derived porcine or bovine-derived col- lagen now used to aid healing during or after surgery. The lab of Jeffrey Hartgerink, a chemist and bioengineer based at Rice's BioScience Research Collaborative, developed synthetic collagen several years ago. The lab's analysis of KOD for use as a hemostat, or clotting agent, appears this month in the American Chemical Society journal Biomacromolecules. Hartgerink and lead author Vivek Kumar, a postdoctoral researcher at Rice, viewed clotting as a good avenue of investigation for practical applica- tion of KOD, a synthetic protein made of 36 amino acids that self-assem- ble into triple-helix nanofibers and hydrogels. "We showed we can make small peptides that we can easily synthesize chemically, which means we can purify them for a completely homogeneous material," said Hartgerink. "Those pep- tides self-assemble into fibers that in turn become a hydrogel. This hierarchy of assembly—from a peptide to a triple helix to a fiber to a hydrogel—mimics much of the hierarchy of assembly of natural collagen." Hartgerink said collagen's impor- tance goes beyond its role as a scaffold for cells. "How a cell determines what it's going to do depends in large part on the chemical surface it's attached to," he said. "We've been thinking about KOD for hemostasis for a while. Natural colla- gen is used in a variety of on-the-mar- ket products for hemostasis, but there are benefits to a synthetic system. We Hydrogel Invented at Rice University May Help 'Nuanced' Healing of Surgical Wounds We see using this for more specific, site- directed applications, like to stop surgical bleeding. — JeFFRey haRtgeRInK chemist and bioengineer for ricebioscience research collaborative can avoid the immune problems associ- ated with using collagen from cows, for example. The ability to synthesize KOD chemically gives us a pure product." Lab tests showed KOD hydrogel traps red blood cells to stop bleeding and, unlike commercial barriers, binds and activates platelets that form clots to promote healing. The tests also determined KOD does not promote inflammation. "We wouldn't envision using KOD for major trauma, because there are conventional methods like tourniquets or using clay-based materials that are much more effective in that immedi- ate situation," said Kumar, who often used his own blood to test the hydrogel against commercial hemostats. "We see using this for more specific, site- directed applications, like to stop surgical bleeding." While validation is needed for KOD to be used in operating rooms, the researchers are already considering applications for wound healing and graft support. "We have the flexibility to incorporate higher levels of complex- ity within our peptide matrix," Kumar said. "We can incorporate cell adhesion or degradation sites to recruit cells or draw in different components from native tissue." SHORT TAKES

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