Description:
Reference #: 00944
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for a biofabrication platform that can be tuned to mimic the native in vivo architecture and geometries vital to the physiological function of tissue.
Invention Description:
The subject invention is a new material for molding intrinsic geometries to an in vitro collagen hydrogel by allowing the adequate transfer of the specific architectural features to a natural scaffold material. These biomaterials have a true 3D architecture and are created with flow channels or tissue voids that replicate functionality of the native tissue.
Potential Applications:
Tissue engineering; regenerative medicine
Advantages and Benefits:
This biofabrication platform utilizes state of the art imaging, micromachining, and selective enzymatic activity in order to achieve a new generation of biomaterials for research and clinical applications. Along with proprietary tunable biomaterials, this technique will accelerate discoveries in the field of regenerative medicine by facilitating the regeneration of lost or malformed soft tissues.
Background:
The field of tissue engineering has created a great demand for the next generation of biomaterials and biofabrication techniques for tissue scaffolds. A suitable tissue scaffold has a 3D structure, is composed of biocompatible materials, and mimics in vivo tissue architectures to facilitate cell and tissue growth and remodel. One of the main obstacles in the production of these scaffolds is the ability to produce specific geometrical features into a biocompatible material. Several biofabrication techniques have been reported in order to control the geometrical features of these scaffolds such as electrospinning, solvent-casting, stereolitography, 3D printing, among others. However, these techniques fall short in providing a relatively easy transfer of controllable architectural features, are expensive, or require a long period of time to produce viable scaffolds. As such, a need exists for methods of re-creating the in vivo architecture and vasculogenesis in the extracellular matrix and in vivo tissues.
Stage of Development:
To date, inventors have developed a 3D branched vessel using type I collagen with cultured vascular endothelial or pluripotent bone marrow stromal cells on the exterior surface, as well as within in the interior channels and voids.