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.

Vanderbilt researchers use cotton candy machines to produce artificial capillary system

For several years, Leon Bellan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, has been tinkering with cotton candy machines, getting them to spin out networks of tiny threads comparable in size, density and complexity to the patterns formed by capillaries - the tiny, thin-walled vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells and carry away waste.

9 Feb 2016

Block copolymer hydrogels facilitate cryoprotection of red blood cells and increase tissue engineering

Freezing of medical tissue and cells usually requires the addition of cryopreservatives, although the added compounds can have undesired effects in subsequent applications.

2 Feb 2016

Rochester scientists identify stem cells capable of skull formation, craniofacial bone repair in mice

A team of Rochester scientists has, for the first time, identified and isolated a stem cell population capable of skull formation and craniofacial bone repair in mice--achieving an important step toward using stem cells for bone reconstruction of the face and head in the future, according to a new paper in Nature Communications.

1 Feb 2016

Newcastle University scientists use seaweed extract to develop 'Stem-gell' bandage for wound healing

Publishing in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine Professor Che Connon and Dr Stephen Swioklo describe the low-cost seaweed solution.

1 Feb 2016

Electrical stimulation could regulate, synchronize beating properties of nascent heart muscle cells

Columbia Engineering researchers have shown, for the first time, that electrical stimulation of human heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) engineered from human stem cells aids their development and function.

20 Jan 2016

Drexel biomedical engineer identifies immune cell as potential strategy for growing blood vessels

In what could be a pivotal step toward repairing non-healing wounds and damaged organs, a Drexel University biomedical engineer has identified an immune cell as a potential strategy for growing blood vessels.

7 Jan 2016

Leading researchers reject proposed link between adeno-associated virus 2 and hepatocellular carcinoma

The conclusion drawn from a recent study that insertion of adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) into human DNA causes mutations leading to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was resoundingly rejected by leading researchers in the fields of gene therapy and molecular genetics.

7 Jan 2016

Collaborative team to determine mechanisms that cause traumatic brain injuries due to shockwaves

Nearly 300,000 soldiers have returned from service in Iraq and Afghanistan with symptoms of traumatic brain injuries due to blast shockwaves. Such injuries often go untreated because they are undetected by brain scans despite the symptoms' presence.

24 Dec 2015

New mathematical models shed light on complex interactions of stem cell function in neural tissue

New research has shed light on the complex interactions of stem cell function and molecular diffusion in neural tissue, which may explain many phenomena from stem cell differentiation to the formation of the cortex of the brain. While researching new methods of reconstructing 3D neural tissue and neural pathways in the brain and spinal cord, Dr. Richard McMurtrey devised new mathematical approaches for understanding the concentration of nutrients within the 3D tissue constructs and how this could affect tissue growth.

22 Dec 2015

Synthetic biomaterial aids in regeneration of skin cells to improve wound healing

Some skin wounds, such as diabetic ulcers, are chronic and may never heal; others, such as burn wounds, are often large and difficult to treat, resulting in pain, infection and scarring. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, funded by the National Institutes of Health, have developed a synthetic biomaterial that fills wounds and aids in regeneration of skin cells, which ultimately improves wound healing.

18 Dec 2015

New report finds critical research gaps in assessing environmental impacts of crude oil spills

A comprehensive scientific report released today by The Royal Society of Canada has concluded that there are still critical research gaps hampering efforts to both assess the environmental impacts of crude oil spills and to effectively remediate them.

26 Nov 2015

Microgravity inhibits regenerative and differentiation potential of embryonic stem cells

A study performed on the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery showed that exposure of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to microgravity inhibited their ability to differentiate and generate most cell lineages, needed for the development of bone, muscle, the immune system, and other organs and tissues.

24 Nov 2015

HEAL Project aims to regenerate human knees and limbs within 15 years

On Veteran's Day the University of Connecticut announced the launch of its new grand research challenge: regeneration of a human knee within 7 years, and an entire limb within 15 years.

12 Nov 2015

New progenitor cells differentiate into mature cell types, prevent risk of unwanted tumors

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) can become any type of cell in the adult body, offering great potential in disease modeling, drug discovery and creating replacement cells for conditions ranging from cardiovascular to Alzheimer's disease.

11 Nov 2015

Betalin launches new EMP technology that could transform diabetes treatment

Betalin Therapeutics, a biotech company specializing in tissue engineering for curing diabetes, introduces the Engineered Micro Pancreas (EMP), a novel technology that provides significant levels of glucose-regulated insulin secretion over extended periods of time.

11 Nov 2015

UTA developing SMART bandage system that can monitor, cure wounds in real time

The University of Texas at Arlington is developing a sensing and therapeutic tool that will help doctors and other healthcare workers better monitor and heal patients' complex wounds more quickly.

5 Nov 2015

Rice and Penn researchers create silicon construct with complex network of blood vessels

Using sugar, silicone and a 3-D printer, a team of bioengineers at Rice University and surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania have created an implant with an intricate network of blood vessels that points toward a future of growing replacement tissues and organs for transplantation.

4 Nov 2015

LifeNet Health's ViviGen Cellular Bone Matrix wins Spine Technology Award

ViviGen Cellular Bone Matrix, an innovative cellular allograft developed by LifeNet Health and marketed in collaboration with DePuy Synthes Spine, received one of the highest honors in spinal medicine, Orthopedics This Week's Best New Technology in Spine award.

15 Oct 2015

Houston Methodist-led research team one step closer to developing technologies to fix broken bones

A collaborative research team led by scientists at Houston Methodist is one step closer to developing technologies that could help mend broken bones faster. The Department of Defense awarded close to $6 million to the Houston Methodist Research Institute for an initiative aimed at studying two new materials to repair complex fractures in long bones.

7 Oct 2015

Sticky, protein-rich gel improves cardiac function after simulated heart attacks

A sticky, protein-rich gel created by Johns Hopkins researchers appears to help stem cells stay on or in rat hearts and restore their metabolism after transplantation, improving cardiac function after simulated heart attacks, according to results of a new study.

25 Sep 2015