3DSTAR · Highly porous collagen scaffolds for building 3D vascular networks: structure and property relationships

Highly porous collagen scaffolds for building 3D vascular networks: structure and property relationships

In many diseases and traumas, organ function is severely compromised, and the only solution is organ transplantation. There are two major problems associated with this strategy: a shortage of organs for transplantation and an immunological mismatch between the donor and the recipient, leading to organ rejection. If we could restore organ function by growing it in the lab from patient’s own cells, we’d be able to avoid both afore-mentioned problems. To do so, cells must be grown under tissue-specific conditions in order to reproduce the right numbers and activity. In my project, I have addressed the question of finding the right spatial conditions to grow bone and microvasculature. I have produced scaffolds suitable for growing cells in a 3-dimentional (3D) microenvironment. These scaffolds are made of a biocompatible, bioactive material and have high porosity. This allows cells to get deep within the scaffolds, attach and start producing the tissue of interest. The overall objectives were to characterise the complex 3D pore structure of these scaffolds (size, shape and interconnectivity), to establish how pore architecture affects cell performance and identify the right cell culture conditions (cell density, co-culture with other cells, etc) to encourage cells to form vascular-like structures and bone. I have investigated two types of pore configurations: randomly aligned (isotropic) or unidirectionally aligned (anisotropic) and have assessed how this pore alignment affects the way cells attach and grow, and how they start producing the engineered tissue. To conclude, I have identified the optimal conditions to grow both bone and micro-vessel tissues by investigating two main parameters: what cell types to include and which pore geometry is best. I have shown that anisotropic scaffolds are preferable for the formation of bone and micro-vessels, and that growing blood vessel cells together with growth supporting cells promote better scaffold vascularisation. Addressing these questions gives a better understanding of the optimum conditions to grow these two tissues, and thus will help to grow the whole bone and other vascularised organs in the future. This will eliminate the need for donor organs and will prevent organ rejection, thereby saving lives and improving the quality of life of many people.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union