Tissue Engineering News and Research

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Dramatic advances in the fields of biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, genetics, biomedical engineering and materials science have given rise to the remarkable new cross-disciplinary field of tissue engineering. Tissue engineering uses synthetic or naturally derived, engineered biomaterials to replace damaged or defective tissues, such as bone, skin, and even organs.

New light-based technique may offer improved treatment for eye problems

Researchers have developed a new light-based technique that selectively stiffens tissue in the cornea and might one day offer improved treatment for eye problems caused by weakened corneal tissue.

5 May 2016

Innovative bone marrow-on-a-chip microdevice holds promise for developing improved radiation countermeasures

Engineered bone marrow grown in a novel microfluidic chip device responds to damaging radiation exposure followed by treatment with compounds that aid in blood cell recovery in a way that mimics living bone marrow.

5 May 2016

New inexpensive technology can effectively sterilise medical implants

International researchers led by the University of Bath have demonstrated a cheap, effective and environmentally-friendly way to sterilise medical implants without changing their properties, in contrast to some techniques.

30 Apr 2016

Curve along edge of tumor may play major role in cancer cell metastasis

Only a few cells in a cancerous tumor are able to break away and spread to other parts of the body, but the curve along the edge of the tumor may play a large role in activating these tumor-seeding cells, according to a new University of Illinois study.

29 Apr 2016

Combination of nanoscale topography and triculture technology benefits large or slow-healing wounds

Large or slow-healing wounds that do not receive adequate blood flow could benefit from a novel approach that combines a nanoscale graft onto which three different cell types are layered. Proper cell alignment on the nanograft allows for the formation of new blood vessel-like structures, as reported in of Tissue Engineering, Part A, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free for download on the Tissue Engineering website until May 26, 2016.

27 Apr 2016

Gladstone scientists bioengineer micro-scale heart tissues from stem cells

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have invented a new way to create three-dimensional human heart tissue from stem cells. The tissue can be used to model disease and test drugs, and it opens the door for a precision medicine approach to treating heart disease. Although there are existing techniques to make three-dimensional tissues from heart cells, the new method dramatically reduces the number of cells needed, making it an easier, cheaper, and more efficient system.

21 Apr 2016

Researchers investigate biochemical, physiological characteristics of facial and extraocular muscles

In a new study, a research team at Basel University Hospital in Switzerland investigates the biochemical and physiological characteristics of orbicularis oculi, a group of facial muscles that control the eyelids and are selectively spared or involved in different neuromuscular disorders. What they found also helps to explain why another set of muscles—the extraocular muscles that control the movement of the eye—are not affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, congenital muscular dystrophy, and aging.

12 Apr 2016

New study shows link between FZD7 protein and breast cancer development

A new study shows that Frizzled7 (FZD7), a protein present on human breast epithelial cells and a component of the Wnt signaling pathway is uniquely controlled by the Notch signaling pathway, both of which play key roles in mammary gland formation and breast cancer development.

6 Apr 2016

Griffith researchers pioneer use of 3D bioprinting to replace missing teeth, bone

The discomfort and stigma of loose or missing teeth could be a thing of the past as Griffith University researchers pioneer the use of 3D bioprinting to replace missing teeth and bone.

31 Mar 2016

Researchers develop metastasis-on-a-chip system to advance cancer investigation, drug discovery

Advances in personalized medicine allow doctors to select the most promising drugs for certain types of malignant tumors.

24 Mar 2016

Tiny gel slivers open way to personalised cancer treatment targeting particular tumour

They look like small, translucent gems but these tiny 'gel' slivers hold the world of a patient's tumour in microcosm ready for trials of anti-cancer drugs to find the best match between treatment and tumour.

22 Mar 2016

New 3D micro-scaffold technology promotes reprogramming of stem cells into neurons

National Institutes of Health-funded scientists have developed a 3D micro-scaffold technology that promotes reprogramming of stem cells into neurons, and supports growth of neuronal connections capable of transmitting electrical signals.

18 Mar 2016

Newly developed biodegradable polymer grafts can help repair the spine

Remember those colorful "grow capsules" that blossom into animal-shaped sponges in water? Using a similar idea, scientists have developed biodegradable polymer grafts that, when surgically placed in damaged vertebrae, should grow to be just the right size and shape to fix the spinal column.

14 Mar 2016

New, regenerative medicine approach developed to remove congenital cataracts in infants

Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Shiley Eye Institute, with colleagues in China, have developed a new, regenerative medicine approach to remove congenital cataracts in infants, permitting remaining stem cells to regrow functional lenses.

10 Mar 2016

MR Solutions introduces new 3D in vivo confocal microscope for preclinical research

MR Solutions’ new 3D in vivo confocal microscope for use in preclinical research provides a magnification range of up to 1000 times, allowing researchers to examine cellular details within a live small animal eliminating the need for a surgical biopsy - saving time and substantially reducing costs.

From MR Solutions 24 Feb 2016

New research reveals underlying biomechanics involved in meniscus fibrocartilage function

Knee injuries are among the top five reasons people visit an orthopedic surgeon for treatments, which include 719,000 total knee replacements performed annually in the United States. Now, new research reveals underlying biomechanics that may be involved in meniscus fibrocartilage function as well as dysfunction and could guide novel treatments for some of the most debilitating and costly orthopedic problems in the U.S., including meniscus tears and age-related joint degeneration.

22 Feb 2016

Scientists find that lifespan of supportive cells in tumor may control cancer metastasis

Researchers have discovered that eliminating cells thought to aid tumor growth did not slow or halt the growth of cancer tumors. In fact, when the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), were eliminated after 10 days, the risk of metastasis of the primary tumor to the lungs and bones of mice increased dramatically.

22 Feb 2016

NJIT students building low-cost water filter for people suffering from kidney disease in rural Sri Lanka

Backed by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an interdisciplinary, student-led team from New Jersey Institute of Technology is building a low-cost water filter for villagers in the north central farming region of Sri Lanka who are suffering from high rates of chronic kidney disease.

19 Feb 2016

Duke engineers develop technique to make artificial arteries that produce biochemical signals

Duke engineers have developed a technique to make artificial arteries that naturally produce biochemical signals vital to their functions. The technique is also ten times faster than current methods for tissue engineering of blood vessels.