Daan received his M.D. degree from the University of Amsterdam. At the start of his residency program in general surgery in the Netherlands, he joined the Center for Engineering in Medicine in September 2004 for a research fellowship in liver tissue engineering and stem cell biology.

Daan's research has focused on several mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) projects aimed at the treatment of liver disease. One project involves studying how MSCs, which are known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties, modulate liver cell functions. The interactions between MSCs and several types of liver cells, including stellate cells, hepatocytes and sinusoidal endothelial cells are studied to better understand how MSCs have therapeutic effects in liver disease.

A second project involves the treatment of rats undergoing acute liver failure by connecting their circulation to an MSC-based bioreactor. Traditionally, hepatocyte-based bioreactors are used in this model to support the failing liver in its hepatocyte-specific functions. It is hypothesized, however, that the observed survival benefit in rats treated with the MSC-based bioreactor is achieved through paracrine suppression of the inflammatory response which accompanies liver injury.

Lastly, Daan has done research with fetal hepatocytes. He has shown that liver-specific functions in fetal hepatocytes can be increased by coculturing them with adult hepatocytes.

Recent Rublications

Daan van Poll, Cenk Sokmensuer, Noor Ahmad, Arno W. Tilles, François Berthiaume, Mehmet Toner, Martin L. Yarmush. Elevated Hepatocyte-Specific Functions in Fetal Rat Hepatocytes Cocultured with Adult Rat Hepatocytes. Tissue Engineering, In Press, 2006.

Biju Parekkadan, Daan van Poll, Zaki Megeed, Arno W. Tilles, François Berthiaume, Martin L. Yarmush. Immunomodulation of Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells by Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Submitted, 2006.