Fabrication of Collagen Scaffolds for Reconstruction of Urinary Tissues

Collagen;Scaffold fabrication;Mechanical properties;Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Jeong, Harrison

Johns Hopkins University

关键词: Collagen;    Scaffold fabrication;    Mechanical properties;    Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering;   

Others  :  https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/60149/JEONG-THESIS-2018.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: JOHNS HOPKINS DSpace Repository

【 摘 要 】

Tissue engineering approaches utilize scaffolds with or without cells to reconstruct, repair, or regenerate lost tissues. These scaffolds are created using either natural or synthetic biomaterials or their composites. Although each of these biomaterials has its own advantages and disadvantages, collagen-based scaffolds are a popular choice in tissue engineering because collagen is a major protein component of extracellular matrices (ECM). Despite providing the favorable biological environment for cells to recreate tissues, collagen-based scaffolds suffer limited mechanical properties, mostly due to limitations in laboratory-based fabrication methodologies.To overcome this and increase a scaffold’s mechanical property, compression molding of collagen, which leads to a dense collagen material, was developed; however, it is confined to creating thick sheets and films. We therefore aimed to develop a biofabrication method that can mold collagen scaffolds into tubular and hollow structures. It is particularly important for genitourinary tissue engineering, where tubular and hollow scaffolds are needed for tissue reconstruction.We utilized SolidworksTM software to design hollow and tubular molds and 3D print them using a biodegradable material. We further devised a biofabrication chamber to produce tubular and hollow collagen scaffolds. We also fabricated collagen discs that are potentially usable as a patch for partial graft applications and tested their mechanical properties by measuring its breaking point from suture and tensile tests, as well as observing its performance during a stress-strain hysteresis loop.We plan to devise methods to improve the mechanical strength of collagen, starting with various physical and chemical modifications. The next steps involve a current project with the goal of developing a urodynamic chamber and a simulation-based software program to evaluate the performance of scaffolds under urinary flow conditions. The future steps will be evaluating these scaffolds in small animal models to study their in vivo biomechanical performance.