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Tissue Engineering: Construction of a Multicellular 3D Scaffold for the Delivery of Layered Cell Sheets
Published on: October 3, 2014
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Trilayered tissue structure with leaflet-like orientations developed through in vivo tissue engineering
Soumen Jana1,2, Federico Franchi2, Amir Lerman2
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211, United States of America.
Biomedical Materials (Bristol, England)
|December 10, 2019
Summary
This study engineered a functional, trilayered tissue structure for heart valves using in vivo tissue engineering. The developed construct mimics native valve leaflets, offering a promising regenerative medicine approach for autologous heart valve replacement.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Current heart valves (mechanical, bioprosthetic) have limitations, particularly for pediatric patients.
- Developing functional tissue-engineered heart valves with native-like trilayered, oriented structures remains a challenge.
- Previous work created a flat, trilayered nanofibrous substrate mimicking native leaflet orientations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a trilayered tissue structure mimicking native heart valve leaflet orientations using in vivo tissue engineering.
- To create an autologous heart valve using a practical regenerative medicine technology.
Main Methods:
- A trilayered nanofibrous substrate was fabricated via electrospinning.
- The substrate was placed in a trileaflet-shaped mold and implanted subcutaneously in rats for in vivo tissue engineering.
- Tissue constructs were explanted after two months for analysis.
Main Results:
- The explanted constructs exhibited a trilayered structure replicating native valve leaflet orientations.
- Infiltrated cells and deposited collagen fibrils aligned with nanofibers in each layer.
- The construct contained collagen, glycosaminoglycans, and elastin.
Conclusions:
- In vivo tissue engineering successfully generated a trilayered tissue construct mimicking native heart valve leaflet structure and cell/matrix organization.
- This approach shows potential for creating autologous tissue-engineered heart valves with appropriate structural mimicry.
