Darcy Wagner
Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine
Canada Excellence Research Chair in Lung Regenerative Medicine
Faculty, Meakins-Christie Laboratories (Meakins)
Scientist, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program (RESP) at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC)
Principal Investigator, McGill Regenerative Medicine Network (MRM Network)
Our lab focuses on how the extracellular environment directs stem cell behavior for endogenous and exogenous lung tissue regeneration. We use a multidisciplinary approach using advances in materials science (polymer design and synthesis), manufacturing (e.g. 3D bioprinting), and endogenous and iPSC-derived lung stem cells to construct these new models.
The main areas of interest of the lab are:
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Design and use of biologic (acellular) and synthetic scaffolds in diverse manufacturing approaches to bioengineer new lung tissue for transplantation.
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Understand the role of the extracellular matrix in directing lung stem cell behaviour in vivo and ex vivo during regeneration (normal and pathologic)
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Build and validate new models of human lung tissue and chronic lung disease to reduce animal usage and for use as drug discovery and therapeutic screening platforms
Keywords: bioengineering, lung regeneration, biomaterials, stem cells, bioprinting, microfluidics, light sheet fluorescence microscopy, image analysis
Recent select publications:
Gvazava et al. Label-Free High-Resolution Photothermal Optical Infrared Spectroscopy for Spatiotemporal Chemical Analysis in Fresh, Hydrated Living Tissues and Embryos. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2023, 145 (45): 24796–24808. Link
Ptasinski et al. Modeling fibrotic alveolar transitional cells with pluripotent stem cell-derived alveolar organoids. Life Science Alliance. 2023, 6(8):e202201853. Link
Da Silva et al. Formalin-free fixation and xylene-free tissue processing preserves cell-hydrogel interactions for histological evaluation of 3D calcium alginate tissue engineered constructs. Front Biomaterial Science 2023, 2:1155919. Link
Alsafadi et al. Simultaneous isolation of proximal and distal lung progenitor cells from individual mice using a 3D printed guide reduces proximal cell contamination of distal lung epithelial cell isolations. Stem Cell Rep 2022, 17(12): 2718-2731. Link and Cover Article
De Santis et al. Extracellular matrix reinforced bioinks for 3D bioprinting human tissue. Adv Materials 2021, 33(3):2005476. Link
Complete Publication List: