Small chips, big impact: MSU researcher studies cardiovascular, sickle cell disease

A Mississippi State University researcher is developing new miniature models to better understand the factors that lead to heart disease and sickle cell anemia. Renita Horton, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, is using clear polymer “chips” to create cellularized microtissue models, which she then uses to study the mechanisms that lead to cardiovascular related diseases. She hopes this work can aid in improving patient outcomes by identifying novel targets that can be exploited to mitigate some of the organ damage caused by sickle cell disease.