An Update to Space Biomedical Research: Tissue Engineering in Microgravity Bioreactors

BioImpacts

Barzegari A¹ 

关键词: Tissue Engineering;    Aerospace Medicine;    Bioreactors;    Microgravity;   

DOI  :  10.5681/bi.2012.003

学科分类：农业科学（综合）

来源: Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and Health Services

【 摘 要 】

Introduction The severe need for constructing replacement tissues in organ transplantation has necessitated the development of tissue engineering approaches and bioreactors that can bring these approaches to reality. The inherent limitations of conventional bioreactors in generating realistic tissue constructs led to the devise of the microgravity tissue engineering that uses Rotating Wall Vessel (RWV) bioreactors initially developed by NASA. Methods In this review article, we intend to highlight some major advances and accomplishments in the rapidly-growing field of tissue engineering that could not be achieved without using microgravity. Results Research is now focused on assembly of 3 dimensional (3D) tissue fragments from various cell types in human body such as chondrocytes, osteoblasts, embryonic and mesenchymal stem cells, hepatocytes and pancreas islet cells. Hepatocytes cultured under microgravity are now being used in extracorporeal bioartificial liver devices. Tissue constructs can be used not only in organ replacement therapy, but also in pharmaco-toxicology and food safety assessment. 3D models of various cancers may be used in studying cancer development and biology or in high-throughput screening of anticancer drug candidates. Finally, 3D heterogeneous assemblies from cancer/immune cells provide models for immunotherapy of cancer. Conclusion Tissue engineering in (simulated) microgravity has been one of the stunning impacts of space research on biomedical sciences and their applications on earth.

【 授权许可】

CC BY