Bioprinting Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

研究为什么重要以及对谁重要：数百万人遭受组织/器官损伤或损伤，如外周神经损伤和心脏病发作。组织/器官移植是治疗这些类型损伤的黄金标准，但由于供体组织/器官的可用性有限，作为一种选择受到严重限制。在这个研究项目中，我们（主要是我和我的研究生）将创造可以与患者一起生长的人造组织/器官替代品或支架，而不是依赖于供体组织/器官，最终提供一个永久的解决方案，从而改善目前的治疗方法。一个类比是在机械师那里购买新零件，以更换损坏或不再工作的汽车零件。我们设想，不幸遭受组织/器官损伤的人可以去医院，将我们的支架植入他/她的身体，然后在我们的支架的帮助下完全恢复健康身体的功能。待完成工作的性质：在这项研究计划中，我们将开发新的方法和工具来制造具有“帮助”细胞的支架，其结构将类似于天然组织/器官（即，在受伤之前身体里有什么）。通过采用新兴的三维（3D）打印技术，我们将以逐层的方式（称为“生物打印”）用细胞（统称为“生物墨水”）铺设或打印生物材料（或细胞能够停留和生活在其中的材料）的线或纤维。在未来五年，我们将实现以下三个具体目标：（1）开发新的方法/工具来生物打印具有新结构的纤维，从而制造与通过现有方法产生的那些不同的支架，（2）寻求打印支架的更好的方法，使得更多的细胞在生物打印过程中存活，并且打印的支架更像天然结构，以及（3）创建具有血管的支架以向细胞供应氧气和营养物，从而改善细胞存活和功能以帮助修复。在这项研究计划中，我们将在实验室中测试和评估我们的支架，看看它们是如何工作的。如果效果良好，我们将在下一步的动物模型和人类患者中进行测试。 预期结果和益处：这项研究计划将导致有关生物打印技术和新型支架开发的新知识的发展。这些新型支架将具有比现有支架更接近天然组织/器官的结构。我们设想，这种新型支架在应用于治疗组织/器官损伤时将发挥更好的作用。因此，这项研究计划将大大有利于大量加拿大人谁遭受组织/器官损伤以及健康研究人员，从业人员和相关领域的行业合作伙伴。

WHY AND TO WHOM THE RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT: Millions of people suffer from tissue/organ injuries or damage, such as peripheral nerve injuries and heart attacks. Tissue/organ transplantation is the gold standard to treat some of these types of injuries but is severely restricted as an option due to the limited availability of donor tissues/organs. Instead of relying on donor tissues/organs, in this research program we (mainly my graduate students and I) will create artificial tissue/organ substitutes or scaffolds that can grow with patients, ultimately providing a permanent solution and thus improving upon current treatment approaches. An analogy would be buying new parts at the mechanic to replace car parts that are broken or no longer functioning. We envision that someone who unfortunately suffers tissue/organ injuries can go to a hospital, have our scaffolds implanted into his/her body, and then later completely recover the function of a healthy body with the help of our scaffolds. NATURE TO THE WORK TO BE DONE: In this research program, we will develop novel methods and tools to fabricate scaffolds with "help" cells, the structure of which will be similar to native tissues/organs (i.e., what was present in the body prior to injury). By employing emerging three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques, we will lay down or print threads or fibers of biomaterials (or materials that cells are able to stay and live within) with cells (collectively called `bioinks') in a layer-by-layer fashion (called `bioprinting'). Over the next five (5) years, we will achieve the following three specific objectives: (1) develop novel methods/tools to bioprint fibers with novel structures, thus fabricating scaffolds that are distinctive from those produced by existing approaches, (2) seek better ways to print scaffolds such that more cells survive the bioprinting process and that printed scaffolds are more like native structures, and (3) create scaffolds with blood vessels to supply cells with oxygen and nutrients, thus improving cell survival and functions to help repair. In this research program, we will test and evaluate our scaffolds in the lab to see how they work. If they work well, we will test them in animal models and human patients in our next steps. ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES AND BENEFITS: This research program will lead to the development of new knowledge with regard to the bioprinting technique and the development of novel scaffolds. These novel scaffolds will have structures that closer resemble native tissue/organs than existing scaffolds. We envisioned that the novel scaffolds will work better as applied to treating tissue/organ injures. As such, this research program will be of great benefit to the large number of Canadians who suffer from tissue/organs injuries as well as health researchers, practitioners, and industry partners in related areas.