Browsing by Subject "3D Bioprinting"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    3D Printing to Recapitulate Cardiac Tissue Development, Structure, and Function
    (2019-09) Kupfer, Molly
    Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, due in large part to the low regenerative capacity of the heart. With recent advances in stem cell biology, cardiac tissue engineering with human cells has emerged as an avenue to replace lost muscle after a cardiac event and to produce in vitro, human models for drug and medical device testing. However, efforts in this realm are still limited in their ability to recapitulate the complex, microscale interactions that enable macroscale function of cardiac muscle. 3D printing is a technology that is poised to meet this challenge, as it enables precise deposition of cues that are critical for cells to connect with each other and engage with their environment. Here we present three studies that capitalize on the replicative power of 3D printing as tool to advance the functionality of engineered cardiac tissues by promoting connections between cardiomyocytes, supporting cells of the heart, and the extracellular matrix. The foundation of this work lies in our view that the generation of physiologically relevant tissue mimics requires a robust mechanistic understanding of how these systems develop in vivo, and how the vital interactions that occur between differentiating cells and their environment can be recapitulated in vitro. Doing so will enable us to address critical gaps in field of cardiac tissue engineering while advancing clinical models and therapeutics.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Supporting data for 3D Printed Stem-Cell Derived Neural Progenitors Generate Spinal Cord Scaffolds
    (2020-05-15) Joung, Daeha; Truong, Vincent; Neitzke, Colin C; Guo, Shuang-Zhuang; Walsh, Patrick J; Monat, Joseph R; Meng, Fanben; Park, Sung Hyun; Dutton, James R; Parr, Ann M; McAlpine, Michael C; mcalpine@umn.edu; McAlpine, Michael C; McAlpine Research Group
    A bioengineered spinal cord is fabricated via extrusion-based multilateral 3D bioprinting, in which clusters of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived spinal neuronal progenitor cells (sNPCs) and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) are placed in precise positions within 3D printed biocompatible scaffolds during assembly. The location of a cluster of cells, of a single type or multiple types, is controlled using a point-dispensing printing method with a 200 μm center-to-center spacing within 150 μm wide channels. The bioprinted sNPCs differentiate and extend axons throughout microscale scaffold channels, and the activity of these neuronal networks is confirmed by physiological spontaneous calcium flux studies. Successful bioprinting of OPCs in combination with sNPCs demonstrates a multicellular neural tissue engineering approach, where the ability to direct the patterning and combination of transplanted neuronal and glial cells can be beneficial in rebuilding functional axonal connections across areas of central nervous system (CNS) tissue damage. This platform can be used to prepare novel biomimetic, hydrogel-based scaffolds modeling complex CNS tissue architecture in vitro and harnessed to develop new clinical approaches to treat neurological diseases, including spinal cord injury.