Dynamic culture of adipose-derived stem cells on microcarrier beads

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Tissue engineering holds great promise for the treatment of many diseases, disorders, and traumas. The long-term objective is to create tissue substitutes that will fully integrate into the body, promoting regeneration and restoring lost function. One common approach is to seed a supporting scaffold with cells that will contribute to the developing tissues. The specific properties of the scaffold will vary depending on the required application. If possible, the patient's own cells should be used to avoid problems with immune rejection. Initially, the construct should define and maintain a desired three-dimensional shape, but ideally, the scaffold would degrade as it is replaced by the patient's own healthy tissues. Our aim is to develop a tissue-engineered fat substitute for reconstructive purposes. The loss of the fat layer found below the skin results in scar tissue formation and deformity. There are numerous limitations to the existing treatment strategies for soft tissue augmentation, which primarily involve either synthetic implants or transferring tissues from other sites of the body. A tissue-engineered substitute could be used for many applications, including the reconstruction of breast tissue following surgery to remove cancer, the repair of birth defects, or for the treatment of traumatic injuries. Towards the goal of creating such a construct, my students and I are studying the adult stem cell population that is found within fat. Most patients have sufficient fat to donate a small sample for cell isolation. The adipose-derived stem cells can be grown in the lab and can become mature fat cells. We are developing a system to grow these precursor cells, while maximizing their ability to form new fat, so that sufficient cell numbers can be obtained for clinical applications. The cells will be grown on beads fabricated from collagen and other proteins that are found in the body. These scaffolds may promote normal cellular organization and behaviour, and can be degraded after implantation. Extensive testing will be conducted to characterize the constructs and optimize the growth conditions. The cell-seeded beads will ultimately be incorporated in larger scaffolds to create natural substitutes for the reconstruction of large volume soft tissue defects.