PATRICK A. TRESCO
Patrick Tresco
email: Patrick.Tresco@utah.edu		 Professor of Bioengineering
Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering

Tresco Lab
Neurobiology of Disease

B.A. 1979, Susquehanna University; M.S. 1983, University of Rhode Island; Ph.D. 1991, Brown University.

RESEARCH:

CNS Response to Implanted Materials

Our primary research focus is in understanding and manipulating the response of nervous tissues to implanted devices in order to improve the biocompatibility of several classes of indwelling devices including stimulating and recording electrodes, bridging devices, cell transplantation vehicles, drug delivery devices and catheters. Using histological techniques and cell based approaches, our group studies the foreign body response, especially the interactions of activated macrophages and the affect of persistent inflammation on adjacent nervous tissue function. In pursuit of our goal, we employ several novel approaches including, novel biomaterials and bioreactors for engineering cell derived ECM for use in bridging devices, specialized devices for cell transplantation, novel surface coatings for biomaterials, and have developed new tools to study soluble factor delivery in brain tissue.

Selected Publications

Biran, R., Martin, D.C., and Tresco, P.A. (2007) The brain tissue response to implanted silicon microelectrode arrays is increased when the device is tethered to the skull. J Biomed Mater Res A, Jul;82(1):169-178.

Hodgkinson, G.N., Tresco, P.A., and Hlady, V. (2007) The differential influence of colocalized and segregated dual protein signals on neurite outgrowth on surfaces. Biomaterials, Jun;28(16):2590-2602.

Kim, Y.T., Bridge, M.J., and Tresco, P.A. (2007) The influence of the foreign body response evoked by fibroblast transplantation on soluble factor diffusion in surrounding brain tissue. J Control Release, Apr 23;118(3):340-347.

Wen, X., and Tresco, P.A. (2006) Fabrication and characterization of permeable degradable poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) hollow fiber phase inversion membranes for use as nerve tract guidance channels. Biomaterials, Jul;27(20):3800-3809.

House, P.A., MacDonald, J.D., Tresco, P.A., and Normann, R.A. (2006) Acute microelectrode array implantation into human neocortex: preliminary technique and histological considerations. Neurosurg Focus, May 15;20(5):E4.

Biran, R., Martin, D.C., and Tresco, P.A. (2005) Neuronal cell loss accompanies the brain tissue response to chronically implanted silicon microelectrode arrays. Exp. Neurol., 195(1):115-126.

Smeal, R.M., Rabbitt, R., Biran, R., and Tresco, P.A. (2005) Substrate curvature influences the direction of nerve outgrowth. Ann Biomed Eng, Mar;33(3):376-382.

Kim, Y.T., Hitchcock, R., Broadhead, K.W., Messina, D.J., and Tresco, P.A. (2005) A cell encapsulation device for studying soluble factor release from cells transplanted in the rat brain. J Control Release, Jan20;102(1):101-111.

Manwaring, M.E., Walsh, J.F., and Tresco, P.A. (2004) Contact guidance induced organization of extracellular matrix. Biomaterials, Aug;25(17):3631-3638.

Kim, Y.T., Hitchcock, R.W., Bridge, M.J., and Tresco, P.A. (2004) Chronic Response of rat brain tissue to implants anchored to the skull. Biomaterials, May;25(12):2229-2237.

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