title: Tissue reorganization in response to mechanical load increases functionality.
abstract: In the rapidly growing field of tissue engineering, the functional properties of tissue substitutes are recognized as being of the utmost importance. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of static mechanical forces on the functionality of the produced tissue constructs. Living tissue sheets reconstructed by the self-assembly approach from human cells, without the addition of synthetic material or extracellular matrix (ECM), were subjected to mechanical load to induce cell and ECM alignment. In addition, the effects of alignment on the function of substitutes reconstructed from these living tissue sheets were evaluated. Our results show that tissue constructs made from living tissue sheets, in which fibroblasts and ECM were aligned, presented higher mechanical resistance. This was assessed by the modulus of elasticity and ultimate strength as compared with tissue constructs in which components were randomly oriented. Moreover, tissue-engineered vascular media made from a prealigned living tissue sheet, produced with smooth muscle cells, possessed greater contractile capacity compared with those produced from living tissue sheets that were not prealigned. These results show that the mechanical force generated by cells during tissue organization is an asset for tissue component alignment. Therefore, this work demonstrates a means to improve the functionality (mechanical and vasocontractile properties) of tissues reconstructed by tissue engineering by taking advantage of the biomechanical forces generated by cells under static strain.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Organogénèse Expérimentale, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement du CHA, Canada.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grenier
authors.forename: Murielle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rémy-Zolghadri
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Larouche
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gauvin
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dupuis
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Langelier
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rancourt
authors.forename: François A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Auger
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Germain
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials