Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging : A Novel Approach to Understanding Diseases in Model Systems

Abstract

The fundamental basis of many human diseases is changes to the cells and tissues in the human body, including cancer, diabetes and transplanted organ rejection. The best way to understand the complex changes to cells associated with disease is to look at whole living tissues, however, this is often not feasible. Cell and tissue engineering allows us to grow human cells in culture and investigate in a controlled environment how the cell behaves. Our research lab is focused on improving disease diagnostics in a number of diseases such as cellular response to glucose (diabetes), fats (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) and alcohol (alcoholic steatohepatitis).