2 research outputs found
A miniaturized bioreactor system for the evaluation of cell interaction with designed substrates in perfusion culture
In tissue engineering, the chemical and topographical cues within three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds
are normally tested using static cell cultures but applied directly to tissue cultures in perfusion
bioreactors. As human cells are very sensitive to the changes of culture environment, it is essential to
evaluate the performance of any chemical, and topographical cues in a perfused environment before
they are applied to tissue engineering. Thus the aim of this research was to bridge the gap between
static and perfusion cultures by addressing the effect of perfusion on cell cultures within 3D
scaffolds. For this we developed a scale down bioreactor system, which allows to evaluate the
effectiveness of various chemical and topographical cues incorporated into our previously developed
tubular ε-polycaprolactone scaffold under perfused conditions. Investigation of two exemplary cell
types (fibroblasts and cortical astrocytes) using the miniaturized bioreactor indicated that: (1) quick
and firm cell adhesion in 3D scaffold was critical for cell survival in perfusion culture compared
with static culture, thus cell seeding procedures for static cultures might not be applicable. Therefore
it was necessary to re-evaluate cell attachment on different surfaces under perfused conditions before
a 3D scaffold was applied for tissue cultures, (2) continuous medium perfusion adversely influenced
cell spread and survival, which could be balanced by intermittent perfusion, (3) micro-grooves still
maintained its influences on cell alignment under perfused conditions, while medium perfusion
demonstrated additional influence on fibroblast alignment but not on astrocyte alignment on grooved
substrates. This research demonstrated that the mini-bioreactor system is crucial for the development of functional scaffolds with suitable chemical and topographical cues by bridging the gap between
static culture and perfusion culture
The Development of a É›-Polycaprolactone Scaffold for Central Nervous System Repair
Potential treatment strategies for the repair of spinal cord injury (SCI)
currently favor a combinatorial approach incorporating several factors,
including exogenous cell transplantation and biocompatible scaffolds.
The use of scaffolds for bridging the gap at the injury site is very
appealing although there has been little investigation into the central
nervous system neural cell interaction and survival on such scaffolds
before implantation. Previously, we demonstrated that aligned
microgrooves 12.5-25 μm wide on ε-polycaprolactone (PCL) promoted
aligned neurite orientation and supported myelination. In this study, we
identify the appropriate substrate and its topographical features required
for the design of a three-dimensional scaffold intended for
transplantation in SCI. Using an established myelinating culture system
of dissociated spinal cord cells, recapitulating many of the features of
the intact spinal cord, we demonstrate that astrocytes plated on the
topography secrete soluble factors(s) that delay oligodendrocyte
differentiation, but do not prevent myelination. However, as myelination
does occur after a further 10-12 days in culture, this does not prevent
the use of PCL as a scaffold material as part of a combined strategy for
the repair of SCI