title: Additively Manufactured Device for Dynamic Culture of Large Arrays of 3D Tissue Engineered Constructs.
abstract: The ability to test large arrays of cell and biomaterial combinations in 3D environments is still rather limited in the context of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This limitation can be generally addressed by employing highly automated and reproducible methodologies. This study reports on the development of a highly versatile and upscalable method based on additive manufacturing for the fabrication of arrays of scaffolds, which are enclosed into individualized perfusion chambers. Devices containing eight scaffolds and their corresponding bioreactor chambers are simultaneously fabricated utilizing a dual extrusion additive manufacturing system. To demonstrate the versatility of the concept, the scaffolds, while enclosed into the device, are subsequently surface-coated with a biomimetic calcium phosphate layer by perfusion with simulated body fluid solution. 96 scaffolds are simultaneously seeded and cultured with human osteoblasts under highly controlled bidirectional perfusion dynamic conditions over 4 weeks. Both coated and noncoated resulting scaffolds show homogeneous cell distribution and high cell viability throughout the 4 weeks culture period and CaP-coated scaffolds result in a significantly increased cell number. The methodology developed in this work exemplifies the applicability of additive manufacturing as a tool for further automation of studies in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: 3B's Research Group-Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Avepark-Zona Industrial da Gandra, S. Cláudio do Barco, 4806-09, Caldas das Taipas, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Dietmar W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hutmacher
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Theodoropoulos
authors.forename: Manuela E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Rui L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Cédryck
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vaquette
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D019149:Bioreactors; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials
keywords: additive manufacturing; bioreactors; regenerative medicine; tissue engineering