计算机辅助骨组织工程技术的研究进展

计算机辅助骨组织工程作为一种新的研究领域可以帮助进行复杂的个性化支架的建模,设计和制造,使支架材料达到理想的物理,化学和生物学性能。本文从骨组织工程支架材料的设计路线出发,综述了计算机辅助技术在骨组织工程支架材料上面的应用,并着重探讨了计算机辅助组织建模、骨组织工程支架的设计和快速成型制造技术的最新进展。     

可控多孔结构支架制备及灌注式体外培养

利用CAD和快速成形技术设计制造具有可控多孔结构的支架。构建灌注式生物反应器系统,实现氧气和营养物质的大量输送,同时产生一定流体剪应力,调节细胞功能的发挥。根据支架负型结构制造出相应的树脂原型,用磷酸钙骨水泥进行填充烧结,得到与设计相符的多孔支架。接种兔成骨细胞,分别采用静态和灌注式三维动态培养方法,观察不同培养条件下细胞在支架表面以及所构造微管道内的生长情况。试验结果表明,灌注式体外培养方法更有利于细胞在支架微管道内的存活和功能的发挥,此灌注式系统能够改善支架微管道内细胞生存的微环境,增强黏附在支架微管道内细胞的活性,促进细胞进一步的增殖和矿化基质的产生。     

应用于组织工程支架制备的电纺技术

组织工程技术为修复病损的组织和器官提供了一种新的途径,在组织工程中,细胞支架起着支撑细胞生长、引导组织再生、控制组织结构和释放活性因子等作用。针对电纺技术的新发展和细胞支架的新理念,综述了国内外利用电纺技术制备细胞支架的工艺条件、制备方法、组织细胞培养等方面的研究进展,并结合作者所在研究团队的研究工作提出了对未来电纺技术在组织工程中应用的研究重点和发展方向的认识。     

肌腱组织工程支架与种子细胞研究进展

目的:综述肌腱组织工程支架材料、细胞来源、制备技术及体外构建的研究进展.方法:查阅近期肌腱组织工程研究的相关文献,对组织工程肌腱支架的材料来源、制备技术,复合细胞种类,体外构建力学刺激等进行分析、归纳.结果:肌腱组织工程支架材料有天然材料、人工合成材料及复合材料等;制备技术包括静电纺丝和编织法等;其中支架材料的表面修饰是组织工程化肌腱构建的重要环节.与肌腱材料进行复合的种子细胞有肌腱细胞、骨髓间充质干细胞及成纤维细胞等.结论:复合材料是近年肌腱组织工程支架材料研究的重点,静电纺丝技术是一种具有潜力的支架制备技术,支架材料的表面修饰可促进细胞在支架上的黏附及肌腱的形成,种子细胞的研究仍是肌腱组织工程发展的瓶颈,周期性张力的存在为组织工程化肌腱的形成创造了条件.     

生物支架材料——组织工程连载之二

具有三维结构的支架材料是组织工程的核心内容之一。现有组织工程支架可分为天然生物材料、合成有机材料和无机材料三类。支架材料近年来研究十分活跃,不仅在组织工程的最早产品人工皮肤领域进行了更为完善的研究和开发,同时在诸如人工骨、软骨、神经、血管、皮肤、肝、脾、肾、膀胱等方面进行了大量研究和探索。与普通组织工程支架需要预先制备并在体外成型不同,近年来在骨和软骨组织工程实践中兴起的可注射支架具有许多优势,是未来组织工程支架发展的重要方向之一。     

组织工程皮肤研究现状

组织工程皮肤是通过培养功能细胞,将其与细胞外基质及支架材料互相作用,制成的具有生物活性的人工皮肤替代物。组织工程皮肤的发展为修复皮肤创面,重建皮肤功能,治疗皮肤病提供了新的方法。本文从皮肤种子细胞培养、真皮支架材料和体外构建活性复合皮三个方面对组织工程皮肤的研究进展进行了综述。目前组织工程皮肤在一定程度上克服了原有的皮肤供区不足、免疫排斥、传播疾病等各种问题。新的种子细胞和支架材料逐渐成熟,并逐渐应用于临床治疗;在种子细胞和真皮替代物基础上发展起来的复合皮肤可以更快速的促进缺损皮肤的愈合,但与在体皮肤比较尚有差距。组织工程皮肤是理想的皮肤替代物,具有良好的发展前景,未来的研究应该着眼于模仿机体皮肤的生理结构和功能,使愈合后的皮肤与在体皮肤融为一体。     

组织工程皮肤研究现状

组织工程皮肤是通过培养功能细胞,将其与细胞外基质及支架材料互相作用,制成的具有生物活性的人工皮肤替代物。组织工程皮肤的发展为修复皮肤创面,重建皮肤功能,治疗皮肤病提供了新的方法。本文从皮肤种子细胞培养、真皮支架材料和体外构建活性复合皮三个方面对组织工程皮肤的研究进展进行了综述。目前组织工程皮肤在一定程度上克服了原有的皮肤供区不足、免疫排斥、传播疾病等各种问题。新的种子细胞和支架材料逐渐成熟,并逐渐应用于临床治疗;在种子细胞和真皮替代物基础上发展起来的复合皮肤可以更快速的促进缺损皮肤的愈合,但与在体皮肤比较尚有差距。组织工程皮肤是理想的皮肤替代物,具有良好的发展前景,未来的研究应该着眼于模仿机体皮肤的生理结构和功能,使愈合后的皮肤与在体皮肤融为一体。     

组织工程皮肤发展现状

组织工程皮肤从概念提出至今技术发展迅速.本文对现有的组织工程皮肤进展展开论述,组织工程皮肤主要分3大类:由种子细胞和支架材料体外三维构建培养的组织工程皮肤、由细胞组成的组织工程化皮肤和由支架材料构成的组织工程化皮肤,根据其结构组成、形态或来源又分成2~3种,每种选1~3个代表具体描述.然后针对现有组织工程存在的再生修复性能不足、细胞来源受限、生产运输成本过高等技术问题进行分析讨论,同时就目前国家对该领域的管理办法进行了讨论和建议,并提出了组织工程皮肤的一些非移植性扩展应用.通过对组织工程皮肤领域技术成果的总结、技术问题与现有研究热点的讨论和未来前景的分析,希望能更好地促进该领域发展.     

重要生命器官组织工程研究

组织、器官的丧失或功能障碍是人类健康所面临的主要危害之一,也是引起人类疾病和死亡的最主要原因。如何从根本上解决组织、器官缺损或功能障碍,也已成为科学界特别是生命科学领域所要积极探索的国际性前沿课题。组织工程的最终目的是工程化生产可以用于替代人体不可逆损伤的、功能退化的组织和器官,使更多的患者得到及时治疗,为根本解决人体重要生命器官的疾病带来新的途径,从而提高人类的健康水平和生活质量。经过研究人员20余年的不懈努力,组织工程研究领域取得了长足的进步。其中,重要生命器官的组织工程研究目前已经成为组织工程研究领域的热点和焦点,并且针对心脏、肝脏、肾脏、胰腺等重要生命器官的组织工程研究正在不断取得突破。该文从干细胞定向可控分化、功能化支架材料仿生制备、重要生命器官体外构建与应用以及基于快速成型和微制造技术的器官精准设计与制造等方面,综述了国内外重要生命器官组织工程研究最新进展及相关的产业化情况,希望为重要生命器官组织工程研究和产业化开发提供一定的参考。     

组织工程支架制备中超临界CO2技术的应用*

作为组织工程研究中三大要素之一,组织工程支架可为细胞的附着、迁移和增殖提供理想的环境。传统的组织工程支架制备方法,如粒子沥滤法、相分离法及静电纺丝法等在理论和技术上已较为成熟,但由于大多需要有机溶剂的参与,在制备过程中仍存在有机溶剂难以去除,以及支架孔洞难以控制、连通性较差等问题。超临界二氧化碳(supercritical carbon dioxide,SC-CO₂)密度近似液体,黏度和扩散系数近似气体,具有流动性强、溶解能力大、传热效率高等特殊的理化性质,与传统工艺相结合,可在绿色温和的反应体系中有效规避上述问题,在组织工程支架制备及药物负载方面具有广阔前景。     

In vitro culture increases mechanical stability of human tissue engineered cartilage constructs by prevention of microscale scaffold buckling

Many studies have measured the global compressive properties of tissue engineered (TE) cartilage grown on porous scaffolds. Such scaffolds are known to exhibit strain softening due to local buckling under loading. As matrix is deposited onto these scaffolds, the global compressive properties increase. However the relationship between the amount and distribution of matrix in the scaffold and local buckling is unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we studied how local strain and construct buckling in human TE constructs changes over culture times and GAG content. Confocal elastography techniques and digital image correlation (DIC) were used to measure and record buckling modes and local strains. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to quantify construct buckling. The results from the ROC analysis were placed into Kaplan-Meier survival function curves to establish the probability that any point in a construct buckled. These analysis techniques revealed the presence of buckling at early time points, but bending at later time points. An inverse correlation was observed between the probability of buckling and the total GAG content of each construct. This data suggests that increased GAG content prevents the onset of construct buckling and improves the microscale compressive tissue properties. This increase in GAG deposition leads to enhanced global compressive properties by prevention of microscale buckling.     

PCL-Based Composite Scaffold Matrices for Tissue Engineering Applications

Biomaterial-based scaffolds are important cues in tissue engineering (TE) applications. Recent advances in TE have led to the development of suitable scaffold architecture for various tissue defects. In this narrative review on polycaprolactone (PCL), we have discussed in detail about the synthesis of PCL, various properties and most recent advances of using PCL and PCL blended with either natural or synthetic polymers and ceramic materials for TE applications. Further, various forms of PCL scaffolds such as porous, films and fibrous have been discussed along with the stem cells and their sources employed in various tissue repair strategies. Overall, the present review affords an insight into the properties and applications of PCL in various tissue engineering applications.     

Polymer‐based microparticles in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Different types of biomaterials, processed into different shapes, have been proposed as temporary support for cells in tissue engineering (TE) strategies. The manufacturing methods used in the production of particles in drug delivery strategies have been adapted for the development of microparticles in the fields of TE and regenerative medicine (RM). Microparticles have been applied as building blocks and matrices for the delivery of soluble factors, aiming for the construction of TE scaffolds, either by fusion giving rise to porous scaffolds or as injectable systems for in situ scaffold formation, avoiding complicated surgery procedures. More recently, organ printing strategies have been developed by the fusion of hydrogel particles with encapsulated cells, aiming the production of organs in in vitro conditions. Mesoscale self‐assembly of hydrogel microblocks and the use of leachable particles in three‐dimensional (3D) layer‐by‐layer (LbL) techniques have been suggested as well in recent works. Along with innovative applications, new perspectives are open for the use of these versatile structures, and different directions can still be followed to use all the potential that such systems can bring. This review focuses on polymeric microparticle processing techniques and overviews several examples and general concepts related to the use of these systems in TE and RE applications. The use of materials in the development of microparticles from research to clinical applications is also discussed. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011     

Rapid prototyping in tissue engineering: challenges and potential

Tissue engineering aims to produce patient-specific biological substitutes in an attempt to circumvent the limitations of existing clinical treatments for damaged tissue or organs. The main regenerative tissue engineering approach involves transplantation of cells onto scaffolds. The scaffold attempts to mimic the function of the natural extracellular matrix, providing a temporary template for the growth of target tissues. Scaffolds should have suitable architecture and strength to serve their intended function. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the fabrication methods, including conventional, mainly manual, techniques and advanced processing methods such as rapid prototyping (RP) techniques. The potential and challenges of scaffold-based technology are discussed from the perspective of RP technology.     

Polycaprolactone scaffolds fabricated with an advanced electrohydrodynamic direct-printing method for bone tissue regeneration

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) direct writing has been used in diverse microelectromechanical systems and various supplemental methods for biotechnology and electronics. In this work, we expanded the use of EHD-induced direct writing to fabricate 3D biomedical scaffolds designed as porous structures for bone tissue engineering. To prepare the scaffolds, we modified a grounded target used in conventional EHD direct printing using a poly(ethylene oxide) solution bath, elastically cushioning the plotted struts to prevent crumbling. The fabricated scaffolds were assessed for not only physical properties including surface roughness and water uptake ability but also biological capabilities by culturing osteoblast-like cells (MG63) for the EHD-plotted polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold. The EHD-scaffolds showed significantly roughened surface and enhanced water-absorption ability (400% increase) compared with the pure rapid-prototyped PCL. The results of cell viability, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mineralization analyses showed significantly enhanced biological properties of the scaffold (20 times the cell viability and 6 times the mineralization) compared with the scaffolds fabricated using RP technology. Because of the results, the modified EHD direct-writing process can be a promising method for fabricating 3D biomedical scaffolds in tissue engineering.     

Competent processing techniques for scaffolds in tissue engineering

Engineering a functional tissue ex vivo requires a synchronized effort towards developing technologies for ECM mimicking scaffold and cultivating tissue-specific cells in an integrated and controlled manner. Cell-interactive scaffolds in three dimensions (3D), designed and processed appropriately with an apt biomaterial to yield optimal porosity and mechanical strength is the key in tissue engineering (TE). In order to accomplish these facets in a 3D scaffold, multiple techniques and processes have been explored by researchers all over the world. New techniques offering reasonable flexibility to use blends of different materials for integrated tissue-specific mechanical strength and biocompatibility have an edge over conventional methods. They may allow a combinatorial approach with a mix of materials while incorporating multiple processing techniques for successful creation of tissue-specific ECM mimics. In this review, we analyze the material requirement from different TE perspectives, while discussing pros and cons of advanced fabrication techniques for scale-up manufacturing.     

Scaffold-based tissue engineering: rationale for computer-aided design and solid free-form fabrication systems

One of the milestones in tissue engineering has been the development of 3D scaffolds that guide cells to form functional tissue. Recently, mouldless manufacturing techniques, known as solid free-form fabrication (SFF), or rapid prototyping, have been successfully used to fabricate complex scaffolds. Similarly, to achieve simultaneous addition of cells during the scaffold fabrication, novel robotic assembly and automated 3D cell encapsulation techniques are being developed. As a result of these technologies, tissue-engineered constructs can be prepared that contain a controlled spatial distribution of cells and growth factors, as well as engineered gradients of scaffold materials with a predicted microstructure. Here, we review the application, advancement and future directions of SFF techniques in the design and creation of scaffolds for use in clinically driven tissue engineering.     

Processing and characterization of porous structures from chitosan and starch for tissue engineering scaffolds

Natural biodegradable polymers were processed by different techniques for the production of porous structures for tissue engineering scaffolds. Potato, corn, and sweet potato starches and chitosan, as well as blends of these, were characterized and used in the experiments. The techniques used to produce the porous structures included a novel solvent-exchange phase separation technique and the well-established thermally induced phase separation method. Characterization of the open pore structures was performed by measuring pore size distribution, density, and porosity of the samples. A wide range of pore structures ranging from 1 to 400 microm were obtained. The mechanisms of pore formation are discussed for starch and chitosan scaffolds. Pore morphology in starch scaffolds seemed to be determined by the initial freezing temperature/freezing rate, whereas in chitosan scaffolds the shape and size of pores may have been determined by the processing route used. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds were assessed by indentation tests, showing that the indentation collapse strength depends on the pore geometry and the material type. Bioactivity and degradation of the potential scaffolds were assessed by immersion in simulated body fluid.     

Supercritical fluid-assisted controllable fabrication of open and highly interconnected porous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Recently tremendous progress has been evidenced by the advancements in developing innovative three-dimensional(3 D)scaffolds using various techniques for addressing the autogenous grafting of bone. In this work, we demonstrated the fabrication of porous polycaprolactone(PCL) scaffolds for osteogenic differentiation based on supercritical fluid-assisted hybrid processes of phase inversion and foaming. This eco-friendly process resulted in the highly porous biomimetic scaffolds with open and interconnected architectures. Initially, a 2~3 factorial experiment was designed for investigating the relative significance of various processing parameters and achieving better control over the porosity as well as the compressive mechanical properties of the scaffold. Then, single factor experiment was carried out to understand the effects of various processing parameters on the morphology of scaffolds. On the other hand, we encapsulated a growth factor, i.e., bone morphogenic protein-2(BMP-2), as a model protein in these porous scaffolds for evaluating their osteogenic differentiation. In vitro investigations of growth factor loaded PCL scaffolds using bone marrow stromal cells(BMSCs) have shown that these growth factor-encumbered scaffolds were capable of differentiating the cells over the control experiments. Furthermore, the osteogenic differentiation was confirmed by measuring the cell proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity, which were significantly higher demonstrating the active bone growth. Together, these results have suggested that the fabrication of growth factor-loaded porous scaffolds prepared by the eco-friendly hybrid processing efficiently promoted the osteogenic differentiation and may have a significant potential in bone tissue engineering.