A multidisciplinary team led by College of Medicine biomedical researcher Bradley Jay Willenberg with Mollie Jewett (Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences) and Andrew Dickerson (University of Tennessee) lined 3D capillary gel biomaterials with human cells to create engineered tissue and then infused it with blood. Testing showed mosquitoes readily bite and blood feed on the constructs. Scientists hope to use this new platform to study how pathogens that mosquitoes carry impact and infect human cells and tissues. Presently, researchers rely largely upon animal models and cells cultured on flat dishes for such investigations.

Further, the new system holds great promise for blood feeding mosquito species that have proven difficult to rear and maintain as colonies in the laboratory, an important practical application. The Willenberg team’s work was published Friday in the journal .

Mosquitos have often been called the world’s deadliest animal, as vector-borne illnesses, including those from mosquitos cause more than 700,000 deaths worldwide each year. Malaria, dengue, Zika virus and West Nile virus are all transmitted by mosquitos. Even for those who survive these illnesses, many are left suffering from organ failure, seizures and serious neurological impacts.

“Many people get sick with mosquito-borne illnesses every year, including in the United States. The toll of such diseases can be especially devastating for many countries around the world,” Willenberg says.

This worldwide impact of mosquito-borne disease is what drives Willenberg, whose lab employs a unique blend of biomedical engineering, biomaterials, tissue engineering, nanotechnology and vector biology to develop innovative mosquito surveillance, control and research tools. He said he hopes to adapt his new platform for application to other vectors such as ticks, which spread Lyme disease.

“We have demonstrated the initial proof-of-concept with this prototype” he says. “I think there are many potential ways to use this technology.”

Captured on video, Willenberg observed mosquitoes enthusiastically blood feeding from the engineered tissue, much as they would from a human host. This demonstration represents the achievement of a critical milestone for the technology: ensuring the tissue constructs were appetizing to the mosquitoes.

“As one of my mentors shared with me long ago, the goal of physicians and biomedical researchers is to help reduce human suffering,” he says. “So, if we can provide something that helps us learn about mosquitoes, intervene with diseases and, in some way, keep mosquitoes away from people, I think that is a positive.”

Willenberg came up with the engineered tissue idea when he learned the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was looking for new in vitro 3D models that could help study pathogens that mosquitoes and other biting arthropods carry.

“When I read about the NIH seeking these models, it got me thinking that maybe there is a way to get the mosquitoes to bite and blood feed [on the 3D models] directly,” he says. “Then I can bring in the mosquito to do the natural delivery and create a complete vector-host-pathogen interface model to study it all together.”

As this platform is still in its early stages, Willenberg wants to incorporate addition types of cells to move the system closer to human skin. He is also developing collaborations with experts that study pathogens and work with infected vectors, and is working with mosquito control organizations to see how they can use the technology.

“I have a particular vision for this platform, and am going after it. My experience too is that other good ideas and research directions will flourish when it gets into the hands of others,” he says. “At the end of the day, the collective ideas and efforts of the various research communities propel a system like ours to its full potential. So, if we can provide them tools to enable their work, while also moving ours forward at the same time, that is really exciting.”

Willenberg received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Florida and continued there for his postdoctoral training and then in scientist, adjunct scientist and lecturer positions. He joined the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ College of Medicine in 2014, where he is currently an assistant professor of medicine.

Willenberg is also a co-founder, co-owner and manager of Saisijin Biotech, LLC and has a minor ownership stake in Sustained Release Technologies, Inc. Neither entity was involved in any way with the work presented in this story. Team members may also be listed as inventors on patent/patent applications that could result in royalty payments. This technology is available for licensing. To learn more, please visit ucf.flintbox.com/technologies/44c06966-2748-4c14-87d7-fc40cbb4f2c6.

The NIH provided the total $1.2 million grant for four years. RO1 or Research Project Grants provide support for health-related research by a sole investigator that addresses a public health need with an innovative approach. Only about 12 percent of new investigator RO1 applications are actually funded, making the grants highly competitive.

Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, applauded Dr. Jewett’s accomplishment. “Research is the heart of academic medicine because medical research is an invisible safety net for all of us,” she said. “This grant is an exciting and well-deserved validation of Dr. Jewett’s research and the spirit of discovery that she models.

Dr. Jewett’s research focuses on Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, and ways to diagnosis the disease earlier and better. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States and is on the rise nationwide, yet definitive diagnosis of the disease remains a challenge. That means sufferers can go untreated – increasing their chances for lifelong complications, including joint inflammation, heart and brain/nervous system problems.

Lyme disease results from a bacterial infection spread through the bite of a blacklegged tick but because the ticks are so tiny, many sufferers never notice they had been bitten. Tick bites and infection can occur when people are participating in popular outdoor activities, including gardening, hunting and hiking. You also can get Lyme disease from walking in high grasses or having a pet that may carry ticks into your home.

Dr. Jewett likes to use a fishing analogy to explain her research. She has used magnetic beads to “fish” for specific antibodies that people produce after they are infected. The RO1 grant will fund new innovative efforts to “fish” for the unique genetic components of the Borrelia burgdorferi important during an infection.  This research is especially important because compared to other bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi “flies under the radar,” without obvious toxic or virulent properties that make it difficult to understand how it makes people sick, Dr. Jewett said.

Dr. Jewett called the RO1 “the pinnacle of my career thus far. It’s a life changer.”

The NIH grant is the latest recognition of her work by the public and the research funding community. In February, Dr. Jewett presented her research at the College of Medicine’s first Luminary Series Lecture of 2013. Days after the Luminary Series, the National Research Fund for Tick-Borne Diseases (NRFTD) announced she had received a $60,000 grant to further her research into mechanisms of Borrelia burgdorferi gene regulation, and how the bacteria functions during an infection.

The presentation: “Diagnosing Lyme in the Nick of Time” showed the impact of Dr. Jewett’s research on the most commonly reported vectorborne illness in the United States. Lyme disease is on the rise nationwide yet there is currently no definitive method of testing for the disease. That means sufferers can go untreated – increasing their chances for lifelong complications.

Dr. Jewett is developing an assay that she hopes will give the most accurate diagnosis for the disease. That is where the “fishing” analogy comes in. People who are infected with tick-borne disease produce antibodies to fight the infection and Dr. Jewett’s team is working to find a better way to “fish” for proof of Borrelia Burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The “bait” is a group of magnetic beads coated with Borrelia proteins. Dr. Jewett’s research has found that those beads will attract the antibodies and provide a clearer indication of infection. “The overall goal is new diagnostics and potential new treatments,” she said. “We’re coming at that from a biology standpoint of: If we understand how the bacteria works, we can understand how to stop it.”

The research funding community is taking notice of her work. Days after Dr. Jewett’s Luminary Series presentation, the National Research Fund for Tick-Borne Diseases (NRFTD) announced she had received a $60,000 grant to further her research into Borrelia Burgdorferi gene regulation, and how the bacteria functions in any given environment.

Dr. Jewett also received an in-house grant from the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ Office of Research and Commercialization. The $7,500 grant is focused on her research into how Borrelia Burgdorferi seeks out nutrients from its host. Her goal is to cut off that process, so that the bacteria will not be able to survive.

Dr. Jewett’s goal is to change the way Lyme disease is diagnosed, treated and prevented. Her passion for the topic spills over into the classroom, where she is inspiring students to do the same. “Research is my number one love, and bringing teaching into that is how I like to do it, “ she said. “Yes, what you’re learning is actually applicable, and important and exciting. I think that gives a hands-on meaning to my teaching.”