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A novel bioreactor for the dynamic stimulation and mechanical evaluation of multiple tissue-engineered constructs
Trevor J Lujan1, Kyle M Wirtz, Chelsea S Bahney
1Biomechanics Laboratory, Legacy Research & Technology Center, Portland, Oregon, USA. trevor.lujan@gmail.com
Tissue Engineering. Part C, Methods
|October 19, 2010
Summary
A novel bioreactor, the mechanoactive transduction and evaluation (MATE) system, enables precise mechanical loading and testing of musculoskeletal tissue engineering constructs. This platform accelerates the discovery of effective mechanostimulation protocols for functional tissue growth.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Advancements in musculoskeletal tissue engineering necessitate standardized methods for defining mechanical stimuli.
- Effective mechanostimulation protocols are crucial for promoting functional tissue growth.
- Current methods for evaluating engineered tissues can be time-consuming and lack integrated stimulation capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel bioreactor system for mechanostimulation and mechanical evaluation of engineered tissues.
- To create a platform that supports the rapid discovery of effective mechanostimulation protocols.
- To enable efficient, batch testing of multiple specimens simultaneously.
Main Methods:
- Development of the mechanoactive transduction and evaluation (MATE) bioreactor with six independent chambers.
- Application of static and dynamic mechanical loads (0.1–10 N, 1 and 10 Hz) in unconfined compression.
- Validation of material property measurements using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate hydrogels and bovine cartilage, comparing results with a standard material testing system.
- Assessment of the bioreactor's sensitivity to mechanical property changes using collagenase-induced degradation.
Main Results:
- The MATE bioreactor accurately applied static and dynamic loads to six specimens with minimal hardware.
- Material property measurements from the MATE were within 10% of those from a standard material testing system.
- The bioreactor detected a significant 12% reduction in equilibrium modulus after collagenase treatment in hydrogel samples (p=0.03).
Conclusions:
- The developed mechanoactive transduction and evaluation (MATE) bioreactor is a validated research platform for musculoskeletal tissue engineering.
- The MATE system efficiently integrates dynamic stimulation and mechanical evaluation, enabling batch testing of engineered constructs.
- This platform can accelerate the mapping of biomechanical development in tissue-engineered constructs during long-term culture.
