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Smart scaffolding aims to rebuild tissue from the inside
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Bioengineers use scaffolds to mimic the body’s extracellular matrix, which supports the growth and maintenance of living cells. Synthetic scaffolds are used as frameworks to form replacement tissues and, perhaps someday, regenerate entire organs from a patient’s own cells. Once their work is done, the scaffolds are designed to degrade and leave only natural, healthy tissue behind.
While much of the work to date has focused on creating tissue in the laboratory for implantation, Hartgerink’s aim is to inject scaffolds infused with living cells that will allow the repairs to happen inside the tissue’s natural environment.
The peptides designed and prepared at Rice self-assemble into nanofibers that can be triggered to form a hydrogel. “We can then deliver cells, small-molecule drugs and proteins to bring everything together properly in one place,” said Hartgerink, an associate professor of chemistry and of bioengineering at Rice. Hydrogels could be designed to interact with stem cells and “get them to do what we want them to do,” he said.
See more and subscribe to NextBigFuture at 2012-11-12 19:02:38 Source: http://nextbigfuture.com/2012/11/smart-scaffolding-aims-to-rebuild.html
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