title: Building stable anisotropic tissues using cellular collagen gels.
abstract: Combining cellular self-alignment within tethered collagen gels with stabilization through subsequent removal of interstitial fluid has yielded a new process for the fabrication of aligned cellular biomaterials. This commentary discusses the generation of engineered neural tissue for peripheral nerve repair using this combination of techniques, providing additional insight into the rationale underpinning the approach. By describing the potential benefits of using cell and matrix interactions to organize 3D hydrogels that can be stabilized to form tissue-like constructs, the article aims to highlight the potential for the approach to be used in the generation of a wider range of functional replacement tissues.
authors.affiliation: University College London; Department of Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering; UCL Eastman Dental Institute; London, UK.
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009417:Nerve Tissue / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D023822:Tissue Engineering
keywords: Schwann cell; alignment; anisotropy; biomaterials; collagen; hydrogel; nerve; regenerative medicine; tissue engineering