title: Three-dimensional biodegradable microscaffolding: scaffold characterization and cell population at single cell resolution.
abstract: Engineering artificial tissue scaffolds with a similar organization to that of the natural tissue is a key element to the successful recapitulation of function. However, three-dimensional (3-D) fabrication of tissue scaffolds containing complex microarchitectures still remains a challenge. In addition, little attention has been paid to the issue of how to incorporate cells within 3-D tissue scaffolds that contain precisely engineered architectures. Here we report a 3-D biodegradable microscaffolding (3D-BMS) technology and its process characterization as well as a microscale cellular loading technology as an efficient way to massively populate biodegradable polymers with cells at single cell resolution. In this study a particular emphasis was given to characterization of the material properties of the biodegradable polymers undergoing the 3D-BMS processes. Optimal process conditions were identified in order to avoid any unwanted change in material properties, such as crystallinity and scaffold strength, that have a direct impact on the degradation speed and physical integrity of the constructed scaffolds. For precise control of the cell distribution within the microstructured scaffolds a high precision microsieve structure was designed to localize rat hepatocytes and human articular chondrocytes in the biodegradable polymers. Cell suspensions were passed at a predetermined flow rate through biodegradable polymer layers that contained tapered microholes in a massively parallel process. This high resolution cell seeding method allows accurate manipulation of cell placement in thin layers of biodegradable polymers.
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. whryu@yonsei.ac.kr
authors.forename: Wonhyoung
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Kyle E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hammerick
authors.forename: Young Beom
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Bum
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fasching
authors.forename: Fritz B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Prinz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D011108:Polymers; D051381:Rats; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers