Electrospun methacrylated natural/synthetic composite membranes for gingival tissue engineering.

New functional materials for engineering gingival tissue are still in the early stages of development. Materials for such applications must maintain volume and have advantageous mechanical and biological characteristics for tissue regeneration, to be an alternative to autografts, which are the current benchmark of care. In this work, methacrylated gelatin (GelMa) was photocrosslinked with synthetic immunomodulatory methacrylated divinyl urethanes and defined monomers to generate composite scaffolds.

Design of a Mechanobioreactor to Apply Anisotropic, Biaxial Strain to Large Thin Biomaterials for Tissue Engineered Heart Valve Applications.

Repair and replacement solutions for congenitally diseased heart valves capable of post-surgery growth and adaptation have remained elusive. Tissue engineered heart valves (TEHVs) offer a potential biological solution that addresses the drawbacks of existing valve replacements. Typically, TEHVs are made from thin, fibrous biomaterials that either become cell populated in vitro or in situ.

Advancing tissue-engineered vascular grafts via their endothelialization and mechanical conditioning.

Tissue engineering has garnered significant attention for its potential to address the predominant modes of failure of small diameter vascular prostheses, namely mid-graft thrombosis and anastomotic intimal hyperplasia. In this review, we described two main features underpinning the promise of tissue-engineered vascular grafts: the incorporation of an antithrombogenic endothelium, and the generation of a structurally and biomechanically mimetic extracellular matrix. From the early attempts at the in-vitro endothelialization of vascular prostheses in the 1970s through to the ongoing clinical trials of fully tissue-engineered vascular grafts, the historical advancements and unresolved challenges that characterize the current state-of-the-art are summarized in a manner that establishes a guide for the development of an effective vascular prosthesis for small diameter arterial reconstruction.

Biomaterials and Culture Systems for Development of Organoid and Organ-on-a-Chip Models.

The development of novel 3D tissue culture systems has enabled the in vitro study of in vivo processes, thereby overcoming many of the limitations of previous 2D tissue culture systems. Advances in biomaterials, including the discovery of novel synthetic polymers has allowed for the generation of physiologically relevant in vitro 3D culture models. A large number of 3D culture systems, aided by novel organ-on-a-chip and bioreactor technologies have been developed to improve reproducibility and scalability of in vitro organ models.