all David Mooney stories

Implants mimic infection to rally immune system against tumors

404132862 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:06:29 -0500

Harvard bioengineers have shown that small plastic disks impregnated with tumor-specific antigens and implanted under the skin can reprogram the mammalian immune system to attack tumors.

The research — which rid 90 percent of mice of an aggressive form of melanoma that would usually kill the rodents within 25 days — represents the most effective demonstration to date of a cancer vaccine.

The research by David J. Mooney is published in the current issue of the journal Nature Materials.

Hansjorg Wyss gives $125 million to create institute for biologically inspired engineering

404132862 — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:48:09 -0400

Engineer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss MBA ’65 has given Harvard University $125 million to create the Hansjörg Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

Investigators at the Wyss Institute (pronounced “Vees”) will strive to uncover the engineering principles that govern living things, and use this knowledge to develop technology solutions for the most pressing healthcare and environmental issues facing humanity. Wyss’ gift is the largest individual gift in the University’s history.

Transplanted cells regenerate muscles

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 06:24:37 -0400

Biological engineering, which once excited the medical community, has been fraught with the difficulties of keeping transplanted cells alive and getting them to integrate with a host's body. Researchers at Harvard University's Department of Engineering and Applied Science may have solved these problems.

"We transplant the cells on a scaffold that keeps them alive, then directs them to leave in a controlled manner and migrate into the surrounding tissue," explains David Mooney, Gordon McKay Professor of Bioengineering. "This is the first time that has been done."

The strategy successfully heals lacerated muscles in mice, but the potential exists for applying it to a wide variety of situations in humans, including treatment of muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and some brain disorders, and to regenerate bone.

"We don't know yet whether the specific materials and approach we used [will] work in humans," Mooney says. "However, I think the basic concept is a very powerful one that will likely have application in humans in some form. We demonstrated the concept with muscle, and this could be useful to treat wounds and, perhaps some day, muscular dystrophy.

"In addition, it could be very useful in transplantation of cells to the heart to treat coronary artery diseases, to transplant cells that promote blood vessel formation, to transplant cells to the brain to treat various neurological conditions, and to transplant cells to promote bone generation."