EFRI-ODISSEI: Origami and Assembly Techniques for Human-Tissue-Engineering (OATH)

该项目的总体研究目标是创建基于组装和折纸的技术，以生成结构类似自然组织并包括有效血管网络的全三维活组织。为了实现这一目标，该研究首先使用二维定向组装来选择性地在二维支架结构上的适当位置定位多种细胞类型。然后对支架进行折纸折叠，将二维细胞组件转换为三维结构，复制自然组织的结构。这项研究解决了组织工程学的三个限制--组织质量、组织数量和生产速度--这三个限制一直阻碍着产生用于医疗治疗的组织。该项目还将制作关于数学折纸的新的K-12教师培训材料；让高中生和教师直接参与研究；为来自不同背景的本科生提供研究机会；并通过博物馆和高中一级的数学宣传与高中生和公众接触。如果成功，该项目提供了通过快速有效地创建组织并对组织结构进行极高水平的控制来拯救生命的潜力。目前，捐献器官的有限供应每年导致数千人死亡。改进的人体组织工程具有直接拯救生命的潜力，方法是提供移植以补充捐赠器官的供应，以及间接地创造组织，用于在人体测试发生之前筛选新的医疗疗法。从教育和社会的角度来看，其好处包括通过广泛分发教师培训材料加强小学和高中的数学教育；通过博物馆展品增加公众参与折纸数学的机会；以及扩大高中生、本科生和教师的研究参与，特别强调那些来自代表不足的少数群体背景或服务于主要代表不足的少数群体社区的人。该研究项目由美国国家科学基金会和美国空军科学研究办公室联合资助。

The overall research objective of this project is to create assembly- and origami-based techniques for the generation of fully three-dimensional living tissues that are structured like natural tissues and include effective vascular networks. To accomplish this goal, the research first uses two-dimensional directed assembly to selectively locate multiple cell types in their proper locations on two-dimensional scaffold structures. The scaffolds are then origami-folded to convert the two-dimensional cell assemblies into three-dimensional structures that replicate the structure of natural tissues. This research addresses the three limitations to tissue engineering - tissue quality, tissue quantity, and speed of production - that have stood in the way of generating tissues for medical therapies. The project will also create new K-12 teacher training materials on origami in mathematics; involve high school students and teachers directly in the research; enable research opportunities for undergraduates from a diversity of backgrounds; and engage with high school students and the public through museum and high school level mathematics outreach. If successful, this project offers the potential to save lives through the creation of tissues rapidly and efficiently with an extremely high level of control over tissue structure. At present, the limited supply of donor organs leads to thousands of deaths every year. The improved engineering of human tissues has the potential to save lives directly, through the provision of transplants to supplement the supply of donor organs, as well as indirectly, by creating tissues for the screening of new medical therapies before human testing takes place. From an educational and societal perspective, the benefits include enhancement of grade school and high school mathematics education through wide distribution of teacher training materials; increased opportunities for public engagement with origami mathematics through museum exhibits; and broadened research engagement of high school students, undergraduates, and teachers, with a particular emphasis on those from underrepresented minority backgrounds or who serve predominantly underrepresented minority communities. This research project is jointly supported by the National Science Foundation and the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research.