Harvard University
Publishes on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications, 3D Printing in Biomedical Research. 449 papers and 51.4k citations.
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The loss or failure of an organ or tissue is one of the most frequent, devastating, and costly problems in human health care. A new field, tissue engineering, applies the principles of biology and engineering to the development of functional substitutes for damaged tissue. This article discusses the foundations and challenges of this interdisciplinary field and its attempts to provide solutions to tissue creation and repair.
Microscale technologies are emerging as powerful tools for tissue engineering and biological studies. In this review, we present an overview of these technologies in various tissue engineering applications, such as for fabricating 3D microfabricated scaffolds, as templates for cell aggregate formation, or for fabricating materials in a spatially regulated manner. In addition, we give examples of the use of microscale technologies for controlling the cellular microenvironment in vitro and for performing high-throughput assays. The use of microfluidics, surface patterning, and patterned cocultures in regulating various aspects of cellular microenvironment is discussed, as well as the application of these technologies in directing cell fate and elucidating the underlying biology. Throughout this review, we will use specific examples where available and will provide trends and future directions in the field.