Micro-and Nano-engineering of Biomineralized Materials

描述（由申请人提供）：生物材料在牙科和骨修复方面有着悠久而成功的历史，但目前的技术还不完善。三维生物矿化模板是骨和牙齿组织工程策略的必要组成部分，但是还不存在用于控制具有促进细胞整合和功能的化学和物理特征的生物矿化基质的形成的方法。 我们将首先制造二维衬底，其中具有在牙齿和骨骼形成期间出现的官能团的大分子将被微图案化以调节磷酸钙晶体成核和生长。将使用恒定组成方法来矿化具有特定化学组成和晶相的图案化表面。此外，将使用天然ECM蛋白或合成聚合物在硅模具中制造具有微图案的三维基质。图案化的水凝胶基质将使用改良的恒定组成方法和微流体以受控方式矿化。矿化结构将被广泛表征为化学，晶体结构和地形。受控微结构将用于研究细胞与细胞外环境之间的相互作用。实验将侧重于矿化材料对细胞行为的影响;将研究化学和几何形状对细胞附着，迁移和特定功能的影响。总之，这些研究将为生物矿化过程中细胞和基质之间的相互作用提供新的见解。由于精确设计的合成材料将被生产和表征，以满足研究目标，该项目也将导致新的方法，为工程的牙科和骨科组织。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Biomaterials have a long and successful history in dental and bone restoration, but the current technology is imperfect. Three-dimensional, biomineralized templates are a necessary component of bone and dental tissue engineering strategies, but methods do not yet exist for controlling the formation of biomineralized substrates with chemical and physical features that promote cell integration and function. We will first fabricate two-dimensional substrates in which macromolecules with functional groups that appear during tooth and bone formation will be micropatterned to regulate calcium phosphate crystal nucleation and growth. A constant composition method will be used to mineralize the patterned surfaces with specific chemical composition and crystalline phase. In addition, three-dimensional matrices with micropatterns will be fabricated using natural ECM proteins or synthetic polymers in a silicon mold. The patterned hydrogel matrices will be mineralized in a controlled manner using a modified constant composition method and microfluidics. Mineralized structures will be extensively characterized for chemistry, crystal structure, and topography. The controlled microstructures will be used to study the interaction between cells and the extracellular environment. Experiments will focus on the effect of the mineralized material on cell behavior; the influence of chemistry and geometry on the attachment, migration, and specific functions of cells will be studied. Together, these studies will provide new insight on the interactions between cells and substrates that occur during biomineralization. Since precisely designed synthetic materials will be produced and characterized to meet the study objectives, this project will also lead to new approaches for engineering of dental and orthopedic tissue.