Controlling Stress in Human Collagen Growth

摘要

Linkam Scientific Instruments have been chosen by the Physics Department of the University of Liverpool to study the effects of controlling stresses applied during the growth of collagen secreted from human fibroblast cells. The research goal of Senior Research Assistant, Dr Caroline Smith, and her colleagues at the University of Liverpool is to advance the treatment of tendon injuries by developing a method of growing oriented human collagen. To achieve this and to gain a fundamental understanding of the process, Dr Smith is using the optical technique of reflection anisotropy spectroscopy to monitor the extent to which collagen, grown by mouse fibroblast cells on elastomeric substrates, is oriented when subjected to a regular uniaxial stress mounted in a Linkam TST350 tensile stage.