title: A mathematical model for the design of fibrin microcapsules with skin cells.
abstract: The use of fibrin in tissue engineering has greatly increased over the last 10 years. The aim of this research was to develop a mathematical model to relate the microcapsule-size and cell-load to growth and oxygen depletion. Keratinocytes were isolated from rat skins and microencapsulated dropping fibrinogen and thrombin solutions. The cell growth was measured with MTT-assay and confirmed using histochemical technique. The oxygen was evaluated using a Clark sensor. It was found that Fick-Monod model explained the cell growth for the first 48 h, but overestimated the same thereafter. It was necessary to add a logistic equation to reach valid results. In relation to the preferred implant alternative, when considering large initial cell loads, the possibility to implant small loads of fast-growing cells arises from the simulations. In relation to the microcapsule size, it was found that a critical diameter could be established from which cell growth velocity is about the same.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Center, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile. cristian.acevedo@usm.cl
authors.forename: Cristian A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Acevedo
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weinstein-Oppenheimer
authors.forename: Donald I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buchholz
authors.forename: Manuel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021522:Bioartificial Organs; D002214:Capsules; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry*; D005337:Fibrin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D051381:Rats; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002214:Capsules; D005337:Fibrin