Immunology and Tissue Engineering

     The Laboratory of Immunology and Tissue Engineering (LITE) currently conducts research in the field of tissue engineering / regenerative medicine and drug discovery. The primary objective of tissue engineering (TE) is to develop living tissues in laboratory settings that can be used for novel treatment approaches. This includes the creation of biological implants that serve as safe, reliable, and readily available alternatives to organ or tissue transplantation, mitigating the risks of graft rejection, ethical concerns, and other issues. LITE focuses specifically on the regeneration of skin, liver, aortic valve, and neural tissues. The laboratory is particularly interested in generating extracellular matrix substitutes (scaffolds) and utilizing living cells, including adult stem cells, capable of repopulating these scaffolds. LITE primarily employs decellularization-based methods due to the significant advantages they offer, such as the preservation of tissue architecture and inherent bioactive agents. However, in certain cases, the Laboratory combines this method with other tissue engineering approaches, such as 3D bioprinting, to maximize outcomes by leveraging the advantages of each approach. Additionally, LITE utilizes these techniques to develop engineered experimental models for drug testing and other applications. The Laboratory uses multiple and versatile methods to comprehensively characterize the developed tissue-engineered constructs. Among them, importantly, LITE also prioritizes the immunological assessment of all engineered constructs and tissues to ensure the development of non-immunogenic tissue substitutes. Another research focus of LITE is the experimental evaluation of novel pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. In collaboration with local and international research groups, LITE is working on advancing drug discovery through AI-driven screening and selection of the most promising small molecule candidates for cancer inhibition. The laboratory expertise in cell isolation, characterization, and compound testing using various techniques allows to assess selected candidate molecules in vitro. Also, the laboratory conducts periodic hands-on courses on tissue engineering, to foster interest among young scientists in this fascinating field. Laboratory members regularly pass training and internships in leading research organizations in Armenia and abroad, and report the research outcomes in local and international conferences and scientific journals.