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A Multi-Cue Bioreactor to Evaluate the Inflammatory and Regenerative Capacity of Biomaterials under Flow and Stretch
Published on: December 10, 2020
Bioreactor system using noninvasive imaging and mechanical stretch for biomaterial screening
Jonathan A Kluge1, Gary G Leisk, Robyn D Cardwell
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
Annals of Biomedical Engineering
|February 8, 2011
Summary
A new bioreactor enables noninvasive optical monitoring of tissue engineering constructs. This reduces trial-and-error screening, improving biomaterial development for in vivo performance.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Bioreactor Design
Background:
- In vitro screening of biomaterials and tissue systems is crucial for predicting in vivo performance in tissue engineering.
- Understanding how culture stimulation impacts tissue construct maturation and function is key to optimizing the process.
- Current methods often involve resource-intensive trial-and-error screening, necessitating more efficient approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a multifunctional and robust bioreactor design for in vitro screening of tissue engineering systems.
- To enable coordinated application of mechanical inputs and noninvasive optical assessments.
- To demonstrate the bioreactor's versatility across various biomaterial systems and tissue constructs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a novel bioreactor capable of applying diverse mechanical inputs (duration, frequency).
- Integrated noninvasive optical assessments for real-time monitoring.
- Validated the system with micro-/nano-fiber, porous sponge biomaterials, and cell-laden constructs.
- Employed label-free imaging on silk-based biomaterials for optical signature analysis.
- Conducted short-term (dye-based cellularity) and long-term (GFP-labeling, load/displacement) culture studies.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the bioreactor's versatility with various biomaterial types and tissue constructs.
- Identified unique optical signatures in silk-based biomaterials for label-free imaging.
- Successfully monitored construct cellularity using nonpermanent dyes in short-term studies.
- Tracked cell ingrowth via GFP-labeling and assessed construct integrity with load/displacement data in long-term studies.
Conclusions:
- The developed bioreactor facilitates non-destructive, sequential profiling of tissue engineering constructs.
- Enables simultaneous monitoring of cells, biomaterials, and matrix formation without sample harvesting.
- Reduces study resource intensity and enhances understanding for biomaterial discovery.
- Improves the matching of tissue engineering specifications for in vivo applications.
