Tissue Engineering

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Tissue Engineering

• Jeffrey Chen

Department of Bioengineering Rice
University BIOE 531 10/30/2003
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Application of the principle and methods of
engineering and the life sciences toward the
fundamental understanding of structure-function
relationship in normal and pathological mammalian
tissues and the development of biological
substitute that restore, maintain, or improve
tissue function Skalak and Fox 1988
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Tissue Engineering
Biomaterial
Biomaterial
Implantation
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Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering

• Bicompatible
• Match the native tissue
• Mechanical
• Structural
• Functional
• Porous for cell attachment
• Lay down ECM
• Provide ideal growth environment
• Growth factors
• Mechanical stress

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Biodegradable Polymers

• Biocompatible degradation products
• Example PLGA and PLLA
• High porosity and surface area
• Reproducible
• Properties can be easily tailored for specific
  application
• Mechanical, chemical, structural
• Polymer scaffold processing
• Fiber bonding
• Solvent-casting particulate-leaching
• Melt Molding

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Degradation vs. Incorporation
Incorporation
Degradation
Time
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Further Reading

• Principles of Tissue Engineering. Lanza, Langer,
  and Chick (1999)
• Frontiers in Tissue Engineering. Patrick, Mikos,
  McIntire (1998)

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Questions