Does mechanical stimulation have any role in urinary bladder tissue engineering?
BACKGROUND
Tissue engineering of the urinary bladder currently relies on biocompatible scaffolds that deliver biological and physical functionality with negligible risks of immunogenic or tumorigenic potential. Recent research suggests that autologous cells that are propagated in culture and seeded on scaffolds prior to implantation improve clinical outcomes. For example, normal urinary bladder development in utero requires regular filling and emptying, and current research suggests that bladders constructed in vitro may also benefit from regular mechanical stimulation. Such stimulation appears to induce favorable cellular changes, proliferation, and production of structurally suitable extracellular matrix (ECM) components essential for the normal function of hollow dynamic organs.


METHODS
To mimic in vivo urinary bladder dynamics, tissue bioreactors that imitate the filling and emptying of a normal bladder have been devised. A "urinary bladder tissue bioreactor" that is able to recapitulate these dynamics while providing a cellular environment that facilitates cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions normally seen in-vivo may be necessary to successfully engineer bladder tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
The validation of a urinary bladder tissue bioreactor that permits careful control of physiological conditions will generate a broad interest from researchers interested in urinary bladder physiology and tissue engineering.
Farhat
Walid A
WA
Urology Division, Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. Walid.farhat@sickkids.ca
Yeger
Herman
H
D000818:Animals; D019149:Bioreactors; D006801:Humans; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000502:physiology*; D014563:Urodynamics / Q000502:physiology*