Ken Knight
  1. Current research activities

    2. At the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery I am a senior member of the tissue engineering research team, which has developed and patented in vivo animal models of vascularized tissue engineering using chambers in mice, rats, rabbits and pigs. Initially we grew vascularized adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, by seeding chambers with preadipocytes and myoblasts respectively, together with extracellular matrix, growth/differentiation factors and, importantly, blood vessels in continuity with the general circulation. In collaboration with A/Prof. Paul Simmons, PMCI, we have used both in vivo and in vitro models to differentiate bone marrow-derived stromal precursor cells along adipogenic and myogenic pathways.

    Two of my current interests are: (i) a study of extracellular matrix components in soft tissues (notably adipose tissue) with a view to developing “instructive” tissue engineering scaffolds for use in these models, in collaboration with Dept of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne; and (ii) the growth of endocrine “organoids” by seeding in vivo tissue engineered constructs with pancreatic islets and/or their precursors (in collaboration with Prof Len Harrison, WEHI) or with pituitary stem cells (in collaboration with Dr Paul Thomas, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute).

  2. Keywords

    3. Tissue engineering, angiogenesis, adipogenesis, organogenesis, islet transplantation, stem cells, extracellular matrix, basement membrane.

  3. End-user applications

    • Breast reconstruction
    • Soft tissue reconstruction/repair
    • Treatment of type 1 diabetes by islet “organoid” transplantation

  4. Key publications

    5. I. Mian R, Morrison WA, Hurley JV, Penington AJ, Romeo R, Tanaka Y, Knight KR (2000) Formation of new tissue from an arteriovenous loop in the absence of added extracellular matrix. Tissue Eng 6: 595-603.
    II. Mian R, Knight KR, Penington AJ, Hurley JV, Messina A, Romeo R, Morrison WA (2001) Stimulating effect of an arteriovenous shunt on the in vivo growth of isografted fibroblasts: a preliminary report. Tissue Eng 7: 73-80.
    III. Cassell OCS, Morrison WA, Messina A, Penington AJ, Thompson EW, Stevens GW, Perera JM, Kleinman HK, Hurley JV, Romeo R, Knight KR (2001). The influence of extracellular matrix on the amount and type of engineered tissue in an experimental rat model. Ann NY Acad Sci 944: 429-442.
    IV. Hofer SOP, Knight KM, Cooper-White JJ, O’Connor AJ, Perera JM, Romeo-Meeuw R, Penington AJ, Knight KR, Morrison WA, Messina A (2003). Increasing the volume of vascularized tissue formation in engineered constructs. An experimental study in rats. Plast Reconstr Surg 111: 1186-1192.
    V. Cronin KJ, Messina A, Knight KR, Cooper-White JJ, Stevens GW, Penington AJ, Morrison WA (2004) New murine model of spontaneous autologous tissue engineering, combining an arteriovenous pedicle with matrix materials. Plast Reconstr Surg 113: 260-269.

  5. Outreach activities

    6. None as Yet.

  6. Key organisation membership

    7. TEAM VIC

  7. Early career researcher?

    8. No.

  8. Young investigator?

    9. No.

  9. Skills and expertise

    • Isolation and purification of extracellular matrix molecules (proteomics including column chromatography, FPLC, SDS-PAGE, Western analysis, etc).
    • Experimental surgery (animal models)
    • Cell culture and cell isolation techniques
    • Chemical pathology (enzyme assays, RIAs, ELISAs) 
    • Histopathology (notably immunohistochemistry)
  10. Specialist equipment and infrastructure

    • Operating microscopes in the Experimental Medicine & Surgery Unit (animal research facility)
    • DAKO autostainer for immunohistochemistry

  11. Contact Details 

    Dr Ken Knight
    Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery and Department of Surgery, St. Vincent’s Health University of Melbourne
    Address: 42 Fitzroy Street Fitzroy, Victoria 3065
    Country: Australia
    Phone: +61 3 9288 4020
    Fax: +61 3 9416 0926
    Email: knightkr@svhm.org.au

© 2004

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