Juan Melero-Martin

Boston Children's Hospital

Academic Titles

Professor, Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Research Program Affiliation

Member, Angiogenesis, Invasion and Metastasis

Research Abstract

The goal of my laboratory is to develop cell-based technologies that will allow engineering vascularized tissues in vivo using postnatal progenitor cells obtained from patients by non-invasive means. In particular, our focus is on the combined use of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) and human blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to regenerate adipose and skeletal muscle tissues in vivo lost after tumor resections (e.g., mastectomy and carcinoma removal). The research conducted in my laboratory is trying to address whether generating a vascular implants with highly purified and defined MPCs and EPCs will drive tissue development in vivo. We give priority to the initial establishment of a functional vascular network within the implant, and propose that as a result of this neo-vascularization appropriate tissue formation and remodeling will be achieved.