Increasing the strength and bioactivity of collagen scaffolds using customizable arrays of 3D-printed polymer fibers.

ABSTRACT: Tendon is a highly aligned connective tissue which transmits force from muscle to bone. Each year, people in the US sustain more than 32 million tendon injuries. To mitigate poor functional outcomes due to scar formation, current surgical techniques rely heavily on autografts. Biomaterial platforms and tissue engineering methods offer an alternative approach to address these injuries. Scaffolds incorporating aligned structural features can promote expansion of adult tenocytes and mesenchymal stem cells capable of tenogenic differentiation. However, appropriate balance between scaffold bioactivity and mechanical strength of these constructs remains challenging. The high porosity required to facilitate cell infiltration, nutrient and oxygen biotransport within three-dimensional constructs ty

SUBMITTER: Mozdzen LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5030103 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature