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ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering Apr 2022Digital light processing (DLP) bioprinting has been widely introduced as a fast and robust biofabrication method in tissue engineering. The technique holds a great... (Review)
Review
Digital light processing (DLP) bioprinting has been widely introduced as a fast and robust biofabrication method in tissue engineering. The technique holds a great promise for creating tissue models because it can replicate the resolution and complexity of natural tissues and constructs. A DLP system projects 2D images onto layers of bioink using a digital photomask. The resolution of DLP bioprinting strongly depends on the characteristics of the projected light and the photo-cross-linking response of the bioink microenvironment. In this review, we present a summary of DLP fundamentals with a focus on bioink properties, photoinitiator selection, and light characteristics in resolution of bioprinted constructs. A simple guideline is provided for bioengineers interested in using DLP platforms and customizing technical specifications for its design. The literature review reveals the promising future of DLP bioprinting for disease modeling and biofabrication.
Topics: Bioprinting; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Tissue Engineering; Tissue Scaffolds
PubMed: 35357144
DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01509 -
Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering Jun 2018In their native environment, cells are immersed in a complex milieu of biochemical and biophysical cues. These cues may include growth factors, the extracellular matrix,... (Review)
Review
In their native environment, cells are immersed in a complex milieu of biochemical and biophysical cues. These cues may include growth factors, the extracellular matrix, cell-cell contacts, stiffness, and topography, and they are responsible for regulating cellular behaviors such as adhesion, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and differentiation. The decision-making process used to convert these extracellular inputs into actions is highly complex and sensitive to changes both in the type of individual cue (e.g., growth factor dose/level, timing) and in how these individual cues are combined (e.g., homotypic/heterotypic combinations). In this review, we highlight recent advances in the development of engineering-based approaches to study the cellular decision-making process. Specifically, we discuss the use of biomaterial platforms that enable controlled and tailored delivery of individual and combined cues, as well as the application of computational modeling to analyses of the complex cellular decision-making networks.
Topics: Animals; Biocompatible Materials; Biomedical Engineering; Cell Adhesion; Cell Communication; Cell Differentiation; Computer Simulation; Extracellular Matrix; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Ligands; Mice; Microfluidics; Pressure; Signal Transduction; Tissue Engineering; Tissue Scaffolds
PubMed: 29328778
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-062117-121011 -
Function (Oxford, England) 2021Investigations into bioengineering kidneys have been extensively conducted owing to their potential for preclinical assays and regenerative medicine. Various approaches... (Review)
Review
Investigations into bioengineering kidneys have been extensively conducted owing to their potential for preclinical assays and regenerative medicine. Various approaches and methods have been developed to improve the structure and function of bioengineered kidneys. Assessments of functional properties confirm the adequacy of bioengineered kidneys for multipurpose translational applications. This review is to summarize the studies performed in kidney bioengineering in the past decade. We identified 84 original articles from PubMed and Mendeley with keywords of kidney organoid or kidney tissue engineering. Those were categorized into 5 groups based on their approach: de-/recellularization of kidney, reaggregation of kidney cells, kidney organoids, kidney in scaffolds, and kidney-on-a-chip. These models were physiologically assessed by filtration, tubular reabsorption/secretion, hormone production, and nephrotoxicity. We found that bioengineered kidney models have been developed from simple cell cultures to multicellular systems to recapitulate kidney function and diseases. Meanwhile, only about 50% of these studies conducted functional assessments on their kidney models. Factors including cell composition and organization are likely to alter the applicability of physiological assessments in bioengineered kidneys. Combined with recent technologies, physiological assessments importantly contribute to the improvement of the bioengineered kidney model toward repairing and refunctioning the damaged kidney.
Topics: Kidney; Tissue Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Bioengineering; Kidney Transplantation
PubMed: 35330622
DOI: 10.1093/function/zqab026 -
Nature Reviews. Cancer Nov 2017The principles of engineering and physics have been applied to oncology for nearly 50 years. Engineers and physical scientists have made contributions to all aspects of... (Review)
Review
The principles of engineering and physics have been applied to oncology for nearly 50 years. Engineers and physical scientists have made contributions to all aspects of cancer biology, from quantitative understanding of tumour growth and progression to improved detection and treatment of cancer. Many early efforts focused on experimental and computational modelling of drug distribution, cell cycle kinetics and tumour growth dynamics. In the past decade, we have witnessed exponential growth at the interface of engineering, physics and oncology that has been fuelled by advances in fields including materials science, microfabrication, nanomedicine, microfluidics, imaging, and catalysed by new programmes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), Physical Sciences in Oncology, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Alliance for Nanotechnology. Here, we review the advances made at the interface of engineering and physical sciences and oncology in four important areas: the physical microenvironment of the tumour and technological advances in drug delivery; cellular and molecular imaging; and microfluidics and microfabrication. We discussthe research advances, opportunities and challenges for integrating engineering and physical sciences with oncology to develop new methods to study, detect and treat cancer, and we also describe the future outlook for these emerging areas.
Topics: Animals; Biomedical Engineering; Humans; Medical Oncology; Natural Science Disciplines; Neoplasms
PubMed: 29026204
DOI: 10.1038/nrc.2017.83 -
Physiology (Bethesda, Md.) Jan 2013Insect tracheal-respiratory systems achieve high fluxes and great dynamic range with low energy requirements and could be important models for bioengineers interested in... (Review)
Review
Insect tracheal-respiratory systems achieve high fluxes and great dynamic range with low energy requirements and could be important models for bioengineers interested in developing microfluidic systems. Recent advances suggest that insect cardiorespiratory systems have functional valves that permit compartmentalization with segment-specific pressures and flows and that system anatomy allows regional flows. Convection dominates over diffusion as a transport mechanism in the major tracheae, but Reynolds numbers suggest viscous effects remain important.
Topics: Animals; Biomedical Engineering; Grasshoppers; Microfluidics; Models, Animal; Respiration; Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
PubMed: 23280354
DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00043.2012 -
Biomedizinische Technik. Biomedical... Feb 2011
Topics: Biomedical Engineering; Biotechnology; Rehabilitation
PubMed: 21303188
DOI: 10.1515/BMT.2011.003 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2019Clinical use of bioengineered skin in reconstructive surgery has been established for more than 30 years. The limitations and ethical considerations regarding the use of... (Review)
Review
Clinical use of bioengineered skin in reconstructive surgery has been established for more than 30 years. The limitations and ethical considerations regarding the use of animal models have expanded the application of bioengineered skin in the areas of disease modeling and drug screening. These skin models should represent the anatomical and physiological traits of native skin for the efficient replication of normal and pathological skin conditions. In addition, reliability of such models is essential for the conduction of faithful, rapid, and large-scale studies. Therefore, research efforts are focused on automated fabrication methods to replace the traditional manual approaches. This report presents an overview of the skin models applicable to skin disease modeling along with their fabrication methods, and discusses the potential of the currently available options to conform and satisfy the demands for disease modeling and drug screening.
Topics: Animals; Biomedical Engineering; Humans; Skin; Skin Diseases; Tissue Engineering
PubMed: 30897791
DOI: 10.3390/ijms20061407 -
Bioengineered Nov 2016Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are important players in the control of gene regulation and represent novel... (Review)
Review
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are important players in the control of gene regulation and represent novel promising therapeutic targets or agents for the treatment of various diseases. While synthetic ncRNAs are predominately utilized, the effects of excessive artificial modifications on higher-order structures, activities and toxicities of ncRNAs remain uncertain. Inspired by recombinant protein technology allowing large-scale bioengineering of proteins for research and therapy, efforts have been made to develop practical and effective means to bioengineer ncRNA agents. The fermentation-based approaches shall offer biological ncRNA agents with natural modifications and proper folding critical for ncRNA structure, function and safety. In this article, we will summarize current recombinant RNA platforms to the production of ncRNA agents including siRNAs and miRNAs. The applications of bioengineered ncRNA agents for basic research and potential therapeutics are also discussed.
Topics: Animals; Bioengineering; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; MicroRNAs; Protein Engineering; RNA Interference; RNA, Small Interfering; RNA, Untranslated; Recombinant Proteins
PubMed: 27415469
DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2016.1207011 -
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences :... Feb 2019Tissue engineering holds great promise in regenerative medicine. However, the field of tissue engineering faces a myriad of difficulties. A major challenge is the... (Review)
Review
Tissue engineering holds great promise in regenerative medicine. However, the field of tissue engineering faces a myriad of difficulties. A major challenge is the necessity to integrate vascular networks into bioengineered constructs to enable physiological functions including adequate oxygenation, nutrient delivery, and removal of waste products. The last two decades have seen remarkable progress in our collective effort to bioengineer human-specific vascular networks. Studies have included both in vitro and in vivo investigations, and multiple methodologies have found varying degrees of success. What most approaches to bioengineer human vascular networks have in common, however, is the synergistic use of both (1) endothelial cells (ECs)-the cells used to line the lumen of the vascular structures and (2) perivascular cells-usually used to support EC function and provide perivascular stability to the networks. Here, we have highlighted trends in the use of various cellular sources over the last two decades of vascular network bioengineering research. To this end, we comprehensively reviewed all life science and biomedical publications available at the MEDLINE database up to 2018. Emphasis was put on selective studies that definitively used human ECs and were specifically related to bioengineering vascular networks. To facilitate this analysis, all papers were stratified by publication year and then analyzed according to their use of EC and perivascular cell types. This study provides an illustrating discussion on how each alternative source of cells has come to be used in the field. Our intention was to reveal trends and to provide new insights into the trajectory of vascular network bioengineering with regard to cellular sources.
Topics: Endothelial Cells; Humans; Microvessels; Pericytes; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Tissue Engineering
PubMed: 30315324
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2939-0 -
Fertility and Sterility Sep 2019
Topics: Bioengineering; Ectogenesis; Female; Humans; Infertility, Female; Uterus
PubMed: 31371052
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.06.023