Tissue engineering overview

Applications of Tissue Engineering and Bioartificial Organs

1. In Vitro Meat:

   • Edible, artificial animal muscle tissue cultured in vitro.
   • Provides a sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional meat production.

2. Bioartificial Liver Device (Temporary Liver):

   • Extracorporeal Liver Assist Device (ELAD):
     • Uses the human hepatocyte C3A cell line in a hollow fiber bioreactor to mimic liver functions.
     • Designed for acute liver failure cases to temporarily replace liver function.
     • Prevents the need for transplantation by allowing the individual's liver to regenerate.

3. Artificial Pancreas:

   • Focused on diabetes management by using islet cells to regulate blood sugar levels.
   • Research aims to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells into beta cells responsible for insulin production.

4. Bioartificial Heart:

   • Developed by Doris Taylor’s lab as a "landmark" achievement.
   • Process involves:
     • Decellularizing a rat heart to create a scaffold.
     • Re-cellularizing the scaffold by injecting rat stem cells into it.
     • Maturing the construct in a bioreactor to form a partially or fully transplantable heart.

5. Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessels:

   • Blood vessels grown in a lab to repair damaged vessels without triggering immune responses.
   • Created through various approaches, including pre-seeding with cellularized components.
   • Can be used in vascular surgeries and for patients requiring vascular repair.

6. Artificial Skin:

• Constructed using human skin cells embedded in a hydrogel.
• Bio-printed constructs are particularly useful for treating severe burns, especially in battlefield scenarios.

Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering

1. Definition:

   • Scaffolds are materials specifically designed to encourage desirable cellular interactions for the creation of new functional tissues used in medical treatments.

2. Function:

   • Cells are often "seeded" onto scaffolds to support three-dimensional tissue formation.
   • These scaffolds replicate the extracellular matrix found in native tissues, recreating the in vivo environment and enabling cells to regulate their own microenvironments.

3. Key Material for Scaffolds:

   • Polylactic Acid (PLA):
     • A commonly used synthetic polymer for scaffold applications.
     • Features:
       • PLA is a polyester that naturally degrades within the human body.
       • It breaks down into lactic acid, a naturally occurring compound.
       • Lactic acid is easily metabolized and removed by the body, making PLA biocompatible and safe for medical use