Modular assembly of tissue engineered constructs

摘要

A vascularised tissue construct seeded with endothelial cells is disclosed. A modular, scalable method of fabrication of tissue constructs with a uniform cell distribution that can accommodate multiple cell types, and in which the porosity is created after cell incorporation, is disclosed. The construct is based on the porous structure that is created when a column or tube is randomly packed with solid objects, such as cylindrical rods. Cells, such as liver cells, are encapsulated in solid gelatin rods (200 &mgr;m diameter, aspect ratio 1:5) on to which if desired endothelial cells, such as human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), can adhere. The gelatin rods are randomly packed into a larger tube and then coated with HUVEC in one embodiment. The interstitial gaps among the rods form interconnected channels that are lined by the endothelial cells. The resulting endothelial cell lining enables whole blood to percolate around the rods and through the interstitial channels. Sufficient nutrient supply, oxygen supply, and waste removal from the encapsulated cells are provided, through whole blood percolates since the encapsulated cells are close to the ‘pseudo-capillaries’ formed in the tissue construct.