3-D Scaffold Provides Clean, Biodegradable Structure for Stem Cell Growth
Nearly all of the embryonic stem cell cultures that were used in 2005 were contaminated with animal byproducts. This is a big problem considering that they were created with the intention of being implantable. But even today, scientists place a lot of importance on preventing cell culture contamination. For the research world however, “animal-based ‘feeder layers’” are still commonly used because they are an inexpensive way to get stem cells to replicate.
Biodegradable tissue engineering scaffolds are devices that encourage the growth of a specific cell type. These scaffolds aim to provide cells with a mechanical environment that favors their replication. Ideally, a particular cell culture will proliferate very quickly on its scaffold. Scaffolds are an indispensable consideration for any biomedical application that requires a large number of cells. Researchers at the University of Washington have successfully created 3-D biodegradable scaffolds that copy the stem cells' natural environment, and the results are very promising for stem cell renewal. The harvested daughter cells were tested in mice and preserved the properties of the original culture.
It is not easy to imitate the in vivo conditions that favor embryonic stem cells growth. These conditions are not easily replicated in 2-D. Three dimensional scaffolds are a new and active area of research, and are proving to emulate the native environment of these cells quite well. As of right now, there is no scaffold that perfectly mimics the natural matrix found in a human embryo.
This article interests me because of the limitless potential that such a technology can provide to our discipline. These scaffolds are biodegradable, and can be implanted into the human body. Different scaffolds give many different types of cells, depending on what the application requires. The ultimate goal is to be able to tailor a given scaffold to the particular need of the patient, quickly grow tissue on this template, and insert it into the body to regain original function.
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=74539484&taxid=49
Biodegradable tissue engineering scaffolds are devices that encourage the growth of a specific cell type. These scaffolds aim to provide cells with a mechanical environment that favors their replication. Ideally, a particular cell culture will proliferate very quickly on its scaffold. Scaffolds are an indispensable consideration for any biomedical application that requires a large number of cells. Researchers at the University of Washington have successfully created 3-D biodegradable scaffolds that copy the stem cells' natural environment, and the results are very promising for stem cell renewal. The harvested daughter cells were tested in mice and preserved the properties of the original culture.
It is not easy to imitate the in vivo conditions that favor embryonic stem cells growth. These conditions are not easily replicated in 2-D. Three dimensional scaffolds are a new and active area of research, and are proving to emulate the native environment of these cells quite well. As of right now, there is no scaffold that perfectly mimics the natural matrix found in a human embryo.
This article interests me because of the limitless potential that such a technology can provide to our discipline. These scaffolds are biodegradable, and can be implanted into the human body. Different scaffolds give many different types of cells, depending on what the application requires. The ultimate goal is to be able to tailor a given scaffold to the particular need of the patient, quickly grow tissue on this template, and insert it into the body to regain original function.
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=74539484&taxid=49
posted by Jason George at 3:20 PM
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