REINFORCED ENGINEERED BIOMATERIALS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF

摘要

Reinforced engineered biomaterials, and methods of making them, may be useful to form engineered leathers. Such engineered hides may be reinforced by encapsulating, and/or cross-linking to, a mesh and/or scaffold material, which may be a synthetic polymeric material. The resulting hide may include a stratified structure in which the mesh is held between layers of collagen-dense regions, where the collagen-dense regions overlaying the mesh following the contour of the mesh. Alternatively or additionally, the resulting hide may be a composite of a fibrous matrix that has been tanned to allow crosslinking of the fibrous matrix to the collagen formed by cultured cells. These engineered leathers may be referred to as fiber-reinforced biological tissue composites. The resulting materials may have superior durability and flexibility compared to other engineered materials and native leather, while retaining the look and feel of native leather.