Preparation of poly(glycolic acid) bonded fiber structures for cell attachment and transplantation.
A novel method was developed to prepare three-dimensional structures with desired shapes used as templates for cell transplantation. The produced biomaterials are highly porous with large surface/volume and provide the necessary space for attachment and proliferation of the transplanted cells. The processing technique calls for the formation of a composite material with nonbonded fibers embedded in a matrix followed by thermal treatment and the selective dissolution of the matrix. To evaluate the technique, poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) fiber meshes were bonded using poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) as a matrix. The bonded structures were highly porous with values of porosity up to 0.81 and area/volume ratios as high as 0.05 micron-1.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
A G
AG
Mikos
Y
Y
Bao
L G
LG
Cima
D E
DE
Ingber
J P
JP
Vacanti
R
R
Langer
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology*; D007773:Lactates; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010784:Photomicrography; D011091:Polyesters; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D011108:Polymers; D016062:Porosity; D051381:Rats
D007773:Lactates; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide); D008628:Mercury