Optical spectroscopy and imaging for the noninvasive evaluation of engineered tissues.
Optical spectroscopy and imaging approaches offer the potential to noninvasively assess different aspects of the cellular, extracellular matrix, and scaffold components of engineered tissues. In addition, the combination of multiple imaging modalities within a single instrument is highly feasible, allowing acquisition of complementary information related to the structure, organization, biochemistry, and physiology of the sample. The ability to characterize and monitor the dynamic interactions that take place as engineered tissues develop promises to enhance our understanding of the interdependence of processes that ultimately leads to functional tissue outcomes. It is expected that this information will impact significantly upon our abilities to optimize the design of biomaterial scaffolds, bioreactors, and cell systems. Here, we review the principles and performance characteristics of the main methodologies that have been exploited thus far, and we present examples of corresponding tissue engineering studies.
Biomedical Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA. Irene.Georgakoudi@tufts.edu
Irene
I
Georgakoudi
William L
WL
Rice
Marie
M
Hronik-Tupaj
David L
DL
Kaplan
D000818:Animals; D001187:Artificial Organs; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D019149:Bioreactors; D002482:Cellulose; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D017785:Photons; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002482:Cellulose