Bioprinting Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

为什么和对谁来说这项研究很重要：数百万人遭受组织/器官损伤或损害，如周围神经损伤和心脏病发作。组织/器官移植是治疗其中一些类型损伤的黄金标准，但由于供体组织/器官的可获得性有限，作为一种选择受到严格限制。在这个研究项目中，我们(主要是我的研究生和我)将创造能够与患者一起生长的人造组织/器官替代品或支架，最终提供永久的解决方案，从而改进目前的治疗方法，而不是依赖于捐赠者的组织/器官。一个类比是，在修理工那里购买新零件，以更换损坏或不再起作用的汽车零件。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。自然与要做的工作：在这个研究计划中，我们将开发新的方法和工具来制造具有“帮助”细胞的支架，其结构将类似于自然组织/器官(即，受伤前存在于体内的组织/器官)。通过使用新兴的三维(3D)打印技术，我们将以一层接一层的方式将生物材料(或细胞能够在其中停留和生活的材料)的线或纤维与细胞(统称为生物墨水)铺设或打印(称为生物打印)。在接下来的五(5)年里，我们将实现以下三个具体目标：(1)开发具有新结构的生物打印纤维的新方法/工具，从而制备不同于现有方法生产的支架，(2)寻找更好的打印支架的方法，使更多的细胞在生物打印过程中幸存下来，并且打印的支架更像是天然结构，以及(3)创建带有血管的支架，以向细胞供应氧气和营养，从而提高细胞存活率和帮助修复的功能。在这个研究项目中，我们将在实验室测试和评估我们的支架，看看它们是如何工作的。如果它们效果良好，我们将在下一步的动物模型和人类患者中测试它们。预期结果和好处：这项研究计划将导致在生物打印技术和新型支架开发方面的新知识的发展。这些新型支架的结构将比现有支架更接近天然组织/器官。我们预计，这种新型支架在治疗组织/器官损伤方面将发挥更好的作用。因此，这项研究计划将对大量遭受组织/器官损伤的加拿大人以及相关领域的健康研究人员、从业者和行业合作伙伴大有裨益。

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.