Zaruhi Karabekian

Head of Laboratory
Professor, PhD

E-mail: zkarabekian@yahoo.com

Tissue regeneration is one of the biggest requirements of modern days. Development of skin and neural tissue substitutes is of particular urgency for the Armenian population.
Transplantation of autologous (i.e., self) tissues or cells to repair a damaged organ is the foundation of many regenerative medicine approaches. However, the availability of such tissues or cells in sufficient amounts and within a short time frame following the injury or an organ failure is a major problem.

The current research directions of the Immunology and Tissue Engineering (ITE) laboratory include projects related to tissue engineering of skin, liver, kidney, aortic valve, and neural tissue.

Tissue engineering, as a scientific discipline, aims to develop feasible, safe, and robust alternatives to organ and tissue transplantation, via construction of tissue grafts based on cells, extracellular matrix substitutes (scaffolds), and bioactive molecules. It allows mimicking the healthy and functional tissues and to avoid the risks of graft rejection. For obtaining scaffolds suitable for tissue regeneration, the ITE laboratory mainly relies on the decellularization-based methods since they preserve the native architecture and bioactive agents. In certain cases, this method is successfully combined with other tissue engineering approaches (including 3D bioprinting). Moreover, the use of mesenchymal stem cells specific for the Armenian population for regenerative medicine applications, is of a particular interest and is one of the aspects of the research of the ITE laboratory.

The Laboratory has also undertaken the mission to carry out hands-on courses to fulfill the interest among young scientists towards the fascinating field of tissue engineering. Toward that goal, in 2017 and 2020, in collaboration with different scientific organizations, Hands-on Tissue Engineering Training Courses were held at the Laboratory of Immunology and Tissue Engineering. Students and young scientists of different backgrounds took part in the training courses, during which the participants were introduced to the principles and methods of tissue engineering. Upon the completion of the course, the participants presented the results of the training and their scientific works to a large audience of specialists and invited guests. The most prominent research conducted by the course alumni has been published in scientific journals and presented in different conferences.

Hands-on Tissue Engineering training course 2020-2021

From the 15th of September 2020 to the 31st of May 2021, Hands-on Tissue Engineering training course was held at the Laboratory of Immunology and Tissue Engineering. Students and young scientists of different backgrounds took part in the training course, during which the participants were introduced to the principles and methods of tissue engineering. Also, new approaches for engineering different tissues were developed. On the 23rd of June, the participants presented the results of the training and the implemented scientific works to a large audience of specialists and invited guests.