Project Grant F31DK149560

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded Massachusetts Institute of Technology $100,228 on May 1, 2027, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to develop and apply synthetic biology tools to engineer vascularized human liver tissues capable of dynamically responding to regenerative stimuli.

The project establishes closed-loop synthetic gene circuits regulating proangiogenic and hepatoprotective growth factors in vitro, then assesses how autonomous paracrine signaling directs new vascular networks and hepatic expansion in vivo. This work implements advances in microphysiological systems and mammalian synthetic biology to program cell-cell communication within multicellular tissues, providing an innovative toolkit for responsive control of tissue assembly and function. The long-term objective is to provide clinically relevant platforms for cell-based therapies to address liver failure, where transplantation is limited by donor organ scarcity.

Performance of research occurs at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The period of performance runs from May 1, 2027, through August 31, 2028.