Prediction of Patient-Specific Tissue Engineering Scaffolds for Optimal Design

The craniofacial region consists of several different tissue types. These tissues are quite commonly affected by traumatic/pathologic tissue loss which has so far been traditionally treated by grafting procedures. With the complications and drawbacks of grafting procedures, the emerging field of regenerative medicine has proved potential. Tissue engineering advancements and the application in the craniofacial region is quickly gaining momentum although most research is still at early in vitro/in vivo stages. We aim to provide an overview on where research stands now in tissue engineering of craniofacial tissue; namely bone, cartilage muscle, skin, periodontal ligament, and mucosa. Abstracts and full-text English articles discussing techniques used for tissue engineering/regeneration of these tissue types were summarized in this article. The future perspectives and how current technological advancements and different material applications are enhancing tissue engineering procedures are also highlighted. Clinically, patients with craniofacial defects need hybrid reconstruction techniques to overcome the complexity of these defects. Cost-effectiveness and cost-efficiency are also required in such defects. The results of the studies covered in this review confirm the potential of craniofacial tissue engineering strategies as an alternative to avoid the problems of currently employed techniques. Furthermore, 3D printing advances may allow for fabrication of patient-specific tissue engineered constructs which should improve post-operative esthetic results of reconstruction. There are on the other hand still many challenges that clearly require further research in order to catch up with engineering of other parts of the human body.

Download Full-text

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Fabricated in Dissolvable 3D-Printed Molds for Patient-Specific Craniofacial Bone Regeneration

Journal of Functional Biomaterials ◽

10.3390/jfb9030046 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 46 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Angela de la Lastra ◽

Katherine Hixon ◽

Lavanya Aryan ◽

Amanda Banks ◽

Alexander Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Grafting ◽

Complex Geometry ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds ◽

Defect Site ◽

3D Printed ◽

Hydrogel Swelling ◽

Specific Tissue ◽

Craniofacial Defects

The current gold standard treatment for oral clefts is autologous bone grafting. This treatment, however, presents another wound site for the patient, greater discomfort, and pediatric patients have less bone mass for bone grafting. A potential alternative treatment is the use of tissue engineered scaffolds. Hydrogels are well characterized nanoporous scaffolds and cryogels are mechanically durable, macroporous, sponge-like scaffolds. However, there has been limited research on these scaffolds for cleft craniofacial defects. 3D-printed molds can be combined with cryogel/hydrogel fabrication to create patient-specific tissue engineered scaffolds. By combining 3D-printing technology and scaffold fabrication, we were able to create scaffolds with the geometry of three cleft craniofacial defects. The scaffolds were then characterized to assess the effect of the mold on their physical properties. While the scaffolds were able to completely fill the mold, creating the desired geometry, the overall volumes were smaller than expected. The cryogels possessed porosities ranging from 79.7% to 87.2% and high interconnectivity. Additionally, the cryogels swelled from 400% to almost 1500% of their original dry weight while the hydrogel swelling did not reach 500%, demonstrating the ability to fill a defect site. Overall, despite the complex geometry, the cryogel scaffolds displayed ideal properties for bone reconstruction.

Download Full-text

Vascular tissue engineering by computer-aided laser micromachining

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.2010.0004 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 368 (1917) ◽

pp. 1891-1912 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Anand Doraiswamy ◽

Roger J. Narayan

Keyword(s):

Tissue Engineering ◽

Endothelial Cells ◽

Vascular Tissue ◽

Laser Micromachining ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds ◽

Aortic Endothelial Cells ◽

Computer Aided ◽

Human Aortic Endothelial Cells ◽

Aortic Endothelial

Many conventional technologies for fabricating tissue engineering scaffolds are not suitable for fabricating scaffolds with patient-specific attributes. For example, many conventional technologies for fabricating tissue engineering scaffolds do not provide control over overall scaffold geometry or over cell position within the scaffold. In this study, the use of computer-aided laser micromachining to create scaffolds for vascular tissue networks was investigated. Computer-aided laser micromachining was used to construct patterned surfaces in agarose or in silicon, which were used for differential adherence and growth of cells into vascular tissue networks. Concentric three-ring structures were fabricated on agarose hydrogel substrates, in which the inner ring contained human aortic endothelial cells, the middle ring contained HA587 human elastin and the outer ring contained human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells. Basement membrane matrix containing vascular endothelial growth factor and heparin was to promote proliferation of human aortic endothelial cells within the vascular tissue networks. Computer-aided laser micromachining provides a unique approach to fabricate small-diameter blood vessels for bypass surgery as well as other artificial tissues with complex geometries.

Download Full-text

An Introduction to 3D Bioprinting: Possibilities, Challenges and Future Aspects

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma11112199 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 2199 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

Željka Kačarević ◽

Patrick Rider ◽

Said Alkildani ◽

Sujith Retnasingh ◽

Ralf Smeets ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tissue Engineering ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Cell Types ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Spatial Geometry ◽

Extrusion Printing ◽

Different Cell Types ◽

Cancer Studies

Bioprinting is an emerging field in regenerative medicine. Producing cell-laden, three-dimensional structures to mimic bodily tissues has an important role not only in tissue engineering, but also in drug delivery and cancer studies. Bioprinting can provide patient-specific spatial geometry, controlled microstructures and the positioning of different cell types for the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds. In this brief review, the different fabrication techniques: laser-based, extrusion-based and inkjet-based bioprinting, are defined, elaborated and compared. Advantages and challenges of each technique are addressed as well as the current research status of each technique towards various tissue types. Nozzle-based techniques, like inkjet and extrusion printing, and laser-based techniques, like stereolithography and laser-assisted bioprinting, are all capable of producing successful bioprinted scaffolds. These four techniques were found to have diverse effects on cell viability, resolution and print fidelity. Additionally, the choice of materials and their concentrations were also found to impact the printing characteristics. Each technique has demonstrated individual advantages and disadvantages with more recent research conduct involving multiple techniques to combine the advantages of each technique.

Download Full-text

3D Bioprinting: Patient-Specific Bioinks for 3D Bioprinting of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds (Adv. Healthcare Mater. 11/2018)

Advanced Healthcare Materials ◽

10.1002/adhm.201870043 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (11) ◽

pp. 1870043 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Negar Faramarzi ◽

Iman K. Yazdi ◽

Mahboubeh Nabavinia ◽

Andrea Gemma ◽

Adele Fanelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tissue Engineering ◽

Patient Specific ◽

3D Bioprinting ◽

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

Download Full-text

In Vivo Tracking of Tissue Engineered Constructs

Micromachines ◽

10.3390/mi10070474 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 474 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Carmen J. Gil ◽

Martin L. Tomov ◽

Andrea S. Theus ◽

Alexander Cetnar ◽

Morteza Mahmoudi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tissue Engineering ◽

New Technologies ◽

Imaging Techniques ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Great Promise ◽

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds ◽

Tissue Constructs ◽

High Penetration ◽

Penetration Depths

To date, the fields of biomaterials science and tissue engineering have shown great promise in creating bioartificial tissues and organs for use in a variety of regenerative medicine applications. With the emergence of new technologies such as additive biomanufacturing and 3D bioprinting, increasingly complex tissue constructs are being fabricated to fulfill the desired patient-specific requirements. Fundamental to the further advancement of this field is the design and development of imaging modalities that can enable visualization of the bioengineered constructs following implantation, at adequate spatial and temporal resolution and high penetration depths. These in vivo tracking techniques should introduce minimum toxicity, disruption, and destruction to treated tissues, while generating clinically relevant signal-to-noise ratios. This article reviews the imaging techniques that are currently being adopted in both research and clinical studies to track tissue engineering scaffolds in vivo, with special attention to 3D bioprinted tissue constructs.

Download Full-text

Novel tissue engineering scaffolds as wound dressings loaded with Alkannins/Shikonins as active ingredients

10.1055/s-0039-3400068 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

AS Arampatzis ◽

K Theodoridis ◽

E Aggelidou ◽

KN Kontogiannopoulos ◽

I Tsivintzelis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tissue Engineering ◽

Wound Dressings ◽

Active Ingredients ◽

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

Download Full-text

HYDROXYAPATITE, ALGINATE, AND CHITOSAN FOR BONE SCAFFOLDS: SPECTROSCOPY STUDY

Dentika Dental Journal ◽

10.32734/dentika.v19i2.457 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 93-100

Author(s):

Lalita El Milla

Keyword(s):

Tissue Engineering ◽

Bone Tissue Engineering ◽

Bone Tissue ◽

Functional Groups ◽

Bone Growth ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Dimensional Structure ◽

Tissue Engineering Scaffolds ◽

Hydroxyapatite Powder ◽

Materials Used

Scaffolds is three dimensional structure that serves as a framework for bone growth. Natural materials are often used in synthesis of bone tissue engineering scaffolds with respect to compliance with the content of the human body. Among the materials used to make scafffold was hydroxyapatite, alginate and chitosan. Hydroxyapatite powder obtained by mixing phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide, alginate powders extracted from brown algae and chitosan powder acetylated from crab. The purpose of this study was to examine the functional groups of hydroxyapatite, alginate and chitosan. The method used in this study was laboratory experimental using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for hydroxyapatite, alginate and chitosan powders. The results indicated the presence of functional groups PO43-, O-H and CO32- in hydroxyapatite. In alginate there were O-H, C=O, COOH and C-O-C functional groups, whereas in chitosan there were O-H, N-H, C=O, C-N, and C-O-C. It was concluded that the third material containing functional groups as found in humans that correspond to the scaffolds material in bone tissue engineering.

Download Full-text