Cartilage and bone biofabrication using human adipose stem cells spheroids as building-blocks
Abstract
The bottom-up approach to tissue engineering is inspired by the self-assembly andrepetition of functional units found in tissues in vivo. Spheroids are high-density scaffoldfree3D tissue models formed by self-assembly of cells able to mimic the functionalityand properties of the original tissue. In this context, the stem cell spheroid is emergingas a bottom-up approach. The state-of-the-art is to generate complex tissue constructsby assembling spheroids known as building blocks by bioprinting. The development ofbioprinting systems in the biofabrication context using spheroids will attend the high-levelorganization and density needs of a macro scale tissue engineering required to criticalsizedefects, besides promoting a scalable and reproductible system. Adipose stem cellsspheroids mimics cartilage, bone and adipose tissue morphogenesis, exhibitingfunctional hallmarks of these native tissues. The current challenges in orthopedicmedical field relies on critical-sized articular defects and non-union bone fractures mostlycaused by trauma or senescence. Bottom-up tissue engineering offers reliable ex vivoengineered autologous alternatives to regeneration of cartilage and bone in a macroscale. Our aim is to develop a scalable and reproductible biofabrication of cartilage andbone using human adipose stem cells spheroids and bioprinting. Our research grouphas been working on adipose stem cells spheroids differentiation to cartilage and boneusing micro-molded agarose hydrogel. Each chamber of micro-molded hydrogelcontains 81 spheroids with controllable size, shape and mechanical properties as desiredfor building-blocks. The generation of tissue constructs will be reached by bioprintingusing a gel loaded with ASC spheroids (bioink). For our 3D construct, additional in vitromaturation after bioprinting will not be necessary, since the spheroids will be previouslydifferentiated into cartilage or bone.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Nov 09, 2020
- Source ID
- N629092112091
Entities
People
- Leandra S Baptista
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy