Manufacturing the Microstructural Niche for Liver Tissue Bioreactors

制造肝组织生物反应器的微结构利基

• 批准号: 0900254
• 负责人: Ian Nettleship
• 金额: $ 27.9万
• 依托单位: University of Pittsburgh
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2013-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0900254&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Manufacturing; Microstructural; Niche; Liver; Tissue

The research objective of this award is to use the structure of natural liver tissue as a guide for the processing of a new type of bioreactor that will make both liver cells and liver tissue. The microstructural niche requires that the structure of the bioreactor core mimic the essential features of the microenvironment in which stem cells reside and differentiate to form liver cells and tissue. The research approach involves dividing the microstructural niche into a series of lengthscales and then recreating these scales using a unique organ casting process in which a polymer copy of a natural liver vascular network is created and then ceramic foam is cast around it. When the ceramic is fired the vascular network of the liver is retained in the open ceramic foam that will be used to culture liver cells. The deliverables include: an understanding of the effect of the vascular structure on the processing of the ceramic foam and its consequent effect on culturing of liver cells, a test of the microstructural niche concept and engineering student education.If successful, the results of the research will provide a new generation of bioreactors that can culture cells and tissue from stem cells at physiologic densities. The liver cells and tissue manufactured in this way could be used in drug testing or transplant. Also, larger bioreactors of this type could be used to support liver function in patents that are being bridged to liver transplant. This award will also demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach that combines knowledge of cellular processes in tissue with the structure-property relationships of materials to design and manufacture bioreactors for other cells and tissue products. The educational approach will attract both undergraduate and graduate students to major in materials science and engineering by providing an example of a strong connection between materials engineering and the requirements of important biomedical devices for regenerative medicine.

该奖项的研究目的是使用天然肝组织的结构作为处理一种新型生物反应器的指南，该生物反应器将同时使肝细胞和肝组织同时制造。 微观结构的生态市场要求生物反应器核心的结构模仿微环境的基本特征，在该特征中，干细胞驻留并区分以形成肝细胞和组织。 研究方法涉及将微观结构的小众分为一系列的长度尺度，然后使用独特的器官铸造过程重新创建这些尺度，在该过程中，创建了天然肝血管网络的聚合物副本，然后围绕陶瓷泡沫铸造。 当陶瓷发射时，将肝脏的血管网络保留在开放的陶瓷泡沫中，该泡沫将用于培养肝细胞。 可交付成果包括：了解血管结构对陶瓷泡沫加工的影响及其对肝细胞培养的影响，测试微观结构性利基概念和工程学学生教育。 以这种方式生产的肝细胞和组织可用于药物测试或移植。同样，这种类型的较大的生物反应器可用于支持被桥接到肝移植的专利中的肝功能。 该奖项还将展示一种跨学科方法，该方法将组织中细胞过程的知识与针对其他细胞和组织产品设计和生产生物反应器的材料的结构性关系结合在一起。 这种教育方法将通过提供材料工程与重生医学重要的生物医学设备之间的牢固联系的例子来吸引本科和研究生材料科学和工程专业。