A BIOPRINTER FOR IN VITRO SYNTHESIS OF TISSUE GRAFTS

我们将建立一个“组织打印机”来制造组织移植物，主要用于肿瘤切除后的重建整形手术。最终目标是能够制造和生长“设计移植物”，用于任何修复或重建手术应用。我们的方法利用喷墨印刷的优势，作为一种微加工和微图案的方法。本质上，我们建议打印三维形态发生基质，或支架，组织结构将在其上生长。MicroFab拥有专有的打印制造技术，允许以快速、任意、数据驱动的格式制造具有微米级特征的3D结构。聚合物、复合材料、活细胞和生物大分子都可以通过多流体打印头同时打印。体积、空间和时间的精确性都很精致。这种经过验证的技术非常适合于创造复杂的、信号丰富的微环境，这些微环境需要诱导、培养和引导复杂的模式细胞生长。我们选择血管构建作为起点有两个原因：(i)生物学理解是先进的；（ii）缺乏血管是体外培养大型组织移植物（用于肿瘤切除后重建）的主要障碍。在第一阶段，我们将通过在微打印基质或支架上生长血管结构来证明原理。第二阶段将以3d生物光刻系统结束。建议的商业应用：3d组织制造系统将为外科医生、患者和医疗保健提供者提供一种经济有效的方法，以克服每年800万例移植手术所需的器官和组织短缺。通过组织制造生产的组织和器官的销售可能是巨大的。

We will build a "tissue printer" to fabricate tissue grafts for reconstructive plastic surgery primarily after tumor removal. The ultimate goal is to be able to fabricate and grow "designer grafts" for any restorative or reconstructive surgical application. Our methods capitalize on the strengths of ink-jet printing as a method for microfabrication and micro- patterning. In essence, we propose to print the 3-dimensional morphogenic matrix, or scaffold, upon which tissue constructs will be grown. MicroFab has proprietary print-fabrication technology that allows fabrication of 3D structures with micron-scale features in a rapid, arbitrary, data-driven format. Polymers, composites, live cells, and biological macromolecules can all be printed simultaneously from multi- fluid printheads. Volumetric, spatial, and temporal precision are exquisite. This proven technology is ideally suited for creating the intricate, signal- rich micro-environments needed to induce, nurture and guide complex patterned cell growth. We have selected vascular constructs as a starting point for two reasons: (i) the biological understanding is advanced and (ii) lack of vasculature is the main obstacle to growing large tissue grafts (for post-tumor removal reconstructions) in vitro. In Phase I, we will demonstrate proof-of-principle by growing vascular constructs on micro-printed matrices or scaffolds. Phase II will conclude with a 3D-Biolithographic system. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: A 3-D tissue fabrication system would provide surgeons, patients, and health care providers with a cost-effective way to overcome the shortage of transplant organs and tissue needed for the 8 million procedures done annually. Sales of tissue and organs produced by tissue-fabrication would potentially be enormous.