Robust and Precise Wounding and Analysis of Engineered Contractile Tissues

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Mechanobiology

Background:

• Fibrous tissue gap closure is crucial for healing after injury.
• Existing 3D bioengineered models for studying wound closure are complex and have high failure rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, effective 3D-printed platform for creating and analyzing wounds in prestressed tissues.
• To investigate the role of active tissue mechanics in wound closure dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 3D-printed wounding platform.
• Creation of precisely sized and circular wounds in collagen/fibroblast tissues.
• Monitoring wound dynamics and comparing active wounding with passive tissue removal.
• Utilizing viscoplastic finite element modeling to simulate tissue stress.

Main Results:

• The platform reliably creates wounds with high accuracy and circularity.
• Wound closure rates are dependent on wound size, with smaller wounds closing completely within 24 hours.
• Active wounding and tissue retraction significantly accelerate wound closure compared to passive methods.
• Finite element modeling indicated transient circumferential stress elevation at wound edges.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D-printed platform offers an accessible method for studying wound closure.
• Active tissue mechanics, driven by initial retraction, play a significant role in accelerating wound healing.
• This approach advances understanding of the mechanobiological basis of wound closure in contractile tissues.