A bioreactor with an electro-responsive elastomeric membrane for mimicking intestinal peristalsis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Mimicking the mechanical environment of native tissues is crucial for developing functional engineered tissues.
• Existing bioreactors often lack the ability to replicate the complex contractile motions of organs like the intestine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an actuated bioreactor that mimics the pulsatile contractile motion of the intestinal barrier.
• To assess the biocompatibility and cell-adhesive properties of the bioreactor for Caco-2 cell culture.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electro-responsive elastomers (dielectric elastomer actuators) to create a radial artificial muscle for rhythmic contraction and relaxation.
• Cultured Caco-2 cells within the bioreactor's central well for 21 days under continuous cyclic strain.
• Evaluated cell monolayer confluency, adhesion, and cohesion after 4 hours of actuation.

Main Results:

• The bioreactor successfully mimicked intestinal actuation frequencies (0.15 Hz) and strain (8%-10%) for up to 4 hours.
• Demonstrated biocompatibility and cell adhesion, with Caco-2 cells forming a confluent monolayer.
• Maintained cellular adhesion and cohesion under continuous cyclic strain.

Conclusions:

• Dielectric elastomer actuation presents a versatile technology for creating biomimetic bioreactors.
• This approach may overcome limitations of current pneumatic systems for cyclically deforming cell cultures.
• The developed bioreactor shows promise for advancing intestinal tissue engineering and in vitro modeling.