title: Organ weaving: woven threads and sheets as a step towards a new strategy for artificial organ development.
abstract: The concept of "organ weaving" is presented, a fabrication technique that can be an attractive option for the development of artificial tissues and organs. "Living threads" are created by immersing threads that are soaked in a CaCl(2)  solution into a sodium-alginate-loaded cell suspension bath, encapsulating the cells and creating a bio-friendly, easily manageable starting material for building up larger scaffold structures. Such living threads have the advantage of being a particularly mild culturing medium for mammalian cells, protecting the cells during subsequent processing steps from dehydration and other rapid changes in the chemistry of the surrounding environment. Connecting different types of threads into 3D objects gives unique opportunities to address tissue engineering challenges.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Albert R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Liberski
authors.forename: Joseph T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Delaney
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Jolke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perelaer
authors.forename: Ulrich S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Schubert
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001187:Artificial Organs; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D011091:Polyesters; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D004492:Edetic Acid