title: Engineered 3D Silk-collagen-based Model of Polarized Neural Tissue.
abstract: Despite huge efforts to decipher the anatomy, composition and function of the brain, it remains the least understood organ of the human body. To gain a deeper comprehension of the neural system scientists aim to simplistically reconstruct the tissue by assembling it in vitro from basic building blocks using a tissue engineering approach. Our group developed a tissue-engineered silk and collagen-based 3D brain-like model resembling the white and gray matter of the cortex. The model consists of silk porous sponge, which is pre-seeded with rat brain-derived neurons, immersed in soft collagen matrix. Polarized neuronal outgrowth and network formation is observed with separate axonal and cell body localization. This compartmental architecture allows for the unique development of niches mimicking native neural tissue, thus enabling research on neuronal network assembly, axonal guidance, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and electrical functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University; karolina.chwalek@tufts.edu.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chwalek
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University.
authors.forename: Disha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University.
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Cantley
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut Health Center & Connecticut Children's Medical Center.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tang-Schomer
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012831:Bombyx; D003094:Collagen; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009417:Nerve Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D055495:Neurogenesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D047011:Silk; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D047011:Silk; D003094:Collagen