The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, UK.
Biomaterials. 2013 Oct;34(30):7335-43. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.06.025. Epub 2013 Jul 5.
A new combination of tissue engineering techniques provides a simple and effective method for building aligned cellular biomaterials. Self-alignment of Schwann cells within a tethered type-1 collagen matrix, followed by removal of interstitial fluid produces a stable tissue-like biomaterial that recreates the aligned cellular and extracellular matrix architecture associated with nerve grafts. Sheets of this engineered neural tissue supported and directed neuronal growth in a co-culture model, and initial in vivo tests showed that a device containing rods of rolled-up sheets could support neuronal growth during rat sciatic nerve repair (5 mm gap). Further testing of this device for repair of a critical-sized 15 mm gap showed that, at 8 weeks, engineered neural tissue had supported robust neuronal regeneration across the gap. This is, therefore, a useful new approach for generating anisotropic engineered tissues, and it can be used with Schwann cells to fabricate artificial neural tissue for peripheral nerve repair.
一种新的组织工程技术组合为构建定向细胞生物材料提供了一种简单有效的方法。在固定的 1 型胶原基质中使雪旺细胞自动排列，然后去除细胞间液，可产生一种稳定的类似组织的生物材料，这种材料再现了与神经移植物相关的定向细胞和细胞外基质结构。这种工程化神经组织的薄片在共培养模型中支持和引导神经元生长，初步体内试验表明，含有卷起薄片的棒的装置可在大鼠坐骨神经修复（5 毫米间隙）期间支持神经元生长。进一步测试该装置修复 15 毫米的临界间隙表明，在 8 周时，工程化神经组织已支持在间隙中进行强健的神经元再生。因此，这是一种用于生成各向异性工程组织的有用新方法，并且可以与雪旺细胞一起用于制造用于周围神经修复的人工神经组织。
