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Tissue Engineering
Every year, hundreds of thousands
of Americans undergo complex
reconstructive operations to repair
ablative, congenital, or traumatic
defects. Tissue engineering is an emerging field that to date has most been limited by the inability to build a construct with an inherent vascular network. Accordingly, we have formed
a multi-disciplinary team of experts in the fields of chemistry,
bioengineering, physics, and reconstructive surgery that has developed
an entirely unique approach to this long-standing problem. Using a
combination of cutting-edge technology and relatively simple materials,
we have created a construct that contains a network of macrochannels
and microchannels that mimic the vascular tree that is found in nature
and crucial for the survival of every living tissue in the human body.
Importantly, this technique is readily scalable to clinically relevant sizes,
and although only a first step, the far-reaching implications represent a
significant step forward towards the development of a completely
vascularized artificial tissue replacement.
Work is ongoing that is testing different variables involving the
dimensions and materials involved in the fabrication of the construct.
Furthermore, we are performing in vivo studies that evaluate the behavior
and characteristics of the construct under normal mammalian.
This work has been highlighted by NPR and the
USA Today. It was also featured on the the Discovery Channel as part of the Re-gen Revolution episode of the "Dean of Invention" series.
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