How do we support tissue engineering?

Scaffolds with an antimicrobial gel, from News, 2012

Common medical issues like cancer can lead to patients needing new organs or other tissues. The body can’t always self-heal major diseases or injuries, like in the case of harmed blood vessels. Sometimes, a transplant would provide a solution for patients lacking critical organs, but transplants aren’t always feasible. Additionally, scientists may need isolated organs or cells for experiments. To solve this problem, scientists have started using tissue engineering to provide tissues. Tissue engineering depends on a multitude of factors to function properly, one of the most important being scaffolding.

Why is Scaffolding Important?

To put it in simple terms, scaffolds are structures built to connect different lab-grown tissues. These tissues aren’t usually connected like natural ones yet, so they need extra support until they are. These biobridges (made of materials that can cooperate with organic compounds) let cells grow rapidly, speeding up the healing process or making sure the tissue grows right. 

As you would expect with a name related to construction, scaffolding looks very similar to the common structures surrounding an unfinished building. They look similar to hollow cubes, with only the edges being made of the material. This results in the structure providing huge openings for cells to attach to regular tissue and each other. Many different materials have been used for scaffolds, like glass, metals, ceramics, and even silks. However, the best materials are biodegradable. The biodegradable ones can be absorbed by the body, erasing long-term negative effects and sometimes providing nutrients. 

How Do We Make Them?

Scaffolds have been made in many ways, like molds and electrospinning. To make scaffolds with molds, you first have to make sure the mold is inflexible. Materials like Teflon are optimal for this. Then, you fill up the mold with the scaffold powder and microscopic gelatin balls. Pressure is applied in 35 degrees Celsius, which makes the powder connect with each other. The gelatin balls are removed, creating pores for cells to connect. 

Electrospinning is another, simple way to make scaffolds. This way is primarily used to make nano and microfibers for smaller scaffolds. The solution used is pushed onto a conductive surface in a high electric field, which means electricity is all around it. The liquid it’s in evaporates, leaving behind very thin and very small fibers in scaffolds. These scaffolds can be used for smaller and more precise purposes, like rebuilding brain tissue. 

The Future of Scaffolding

With the current processes in play, the scientific and biotechnological opportunities are endless. We could use scaffolds to build a massive variety of tissues, possibly solving major medical problems in the process. Biotechnicians could use them to build brain tissue, heart tissue, and cartilage. We also could improve on their design, like building 4D scaffolds that move with the body, eliminating the need to remove them quickly. These 4D scaffolds could possess shape memory that work with the body, not rigidly rebelling. They could also lead to lower surgical trauma, enhancing the patient’s treatment. 

In conclusion, tissue engineering is an incredibly useful technology, and relies on scaffolding to work. These scaffolds help the new tissue connect with the natural ones, preventing possibly negative responses. They have immense potential, and different designs can increase the positive effects of tissue engineering in general, helping medicine progress.

References

Biology’s Approach to Construction: The Development and Use of Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering – USC Viterbi School of Engineering. (n.d.). https://illumin.usc.edu/biologys-approach-to-construction-the-development-and-use-of-scaffolds-in-tissue-engineering/

‌Complex Scaffold Design - Laboratory for Biomaterials Research. (2020, May 21). Laboratory for Biomaterials Research. https://sites.rutgers.edu/lbr/complex-scaffold-design/

‌Weems, A. C., Arno, M. C., Yu, W., Huckstepp, R. T. R., & Dove, A. P. (2021). 4D polycarbonates via stereolithography as scaffolds for soft tissue repair. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23956-6

‌News, A. S. (2012, November 21). Antimicrobial scaffolds for tissue engineering - Advanced Science News. Advanced Science News. https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/antimicrobial-scaffolds-for-tissue-engineering/

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