This technology is based on a novel solution to making tissues which overcomes the problem of creating an Extra Cellular Matrix (ECM) via cell cultivation. The process described here reverses the approach. Plastic compression (PC) fabrication of 3D biomimetic tissues enables a complete shift towards controlled engineering of bulk, fibrillar collagen materials. Fluid is rapidly removed from hyper-hydrated native collagen gels. This is performed with residual cells present, but does not rely on their contribution. The controlled nature of this process allows the fabrication of a huge diversity of micro-nano (meso-) scale biomimetic structure very rapidly. Dense laminated collagen structures can be fabricated in less than 5 minutes after collagen gelling instead of culture periods of weeks or months.

Innovative Aspects:
This technology has potential not only in producing biomimetic structure and controllable densities very rapidly but also two key and non-obvious advantages. These are: the ability to generate almost unlimited 3D structural diversity; and the ability to do this in a (semi-) automatic, mechanised manner. Furthermore, it will be simple to fabricate model tissues such as skin with a huge variety of compositions and 3D structures. This allows one to accurately mimic any specific site of skin (eye-lid v's back-skin or palm/sole). This has the potential to mimic age changes of skin/connective tissues given that it is possible to define these changes structurally.

 

Patents/Rights: Others

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