Molecular regulation of osteoblasts for tissue engineered bone repair.

The use of biodegradable polymers in medicine and biomedical research is increasing. A key growth area has been the use of these materials in tissue engineering, especially for guided regeneration of bone and cartilage. Our interest has been in determining the mechanisms by which cellular attachment and growth occurs on these materials.

Cryopreservation of tissue engineered constructs for bone.

The large-scale clinical use of tissue engineered constructs will require provisions for its mass availability and accessibility. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the effects of low temperature (-196 degrees C) on the tissue engineered biological system. Initial studies used samples of the osteoblast-like cell line (SaOS-2) adhered to a two-dimensional poly(lactide-co-glycolide) thin film (2D-PLAGA) or a three-dimensional poly(lactide-co-glycolide) sintered microsphere matrix (3D-PLAGA) designed for bone tissue engineering.