| Tissue engineering strategies have commonly focused on the use of biodegradable synthetic polymers as supports for cell growth and tissue accumulation. Using this approach the formation of several tissues has been demonstrated, yet the development of commercially and clinically successful engineered tissues remains elusive. Some have reasoned that a detrimental host response to synthetic materials has blocked development and an alternative approach using biological materials should be considered. Typically harvested from animal sources, biological materials have a level of biocomplexity and biocompatibility that synthetic materials do not. However, rather than harvesting material from animal sources it may be preferable to engineer natural scaffolds using human cells, thereby creating a material that mimics human tissue. In this dissertation, the development of an innovative method to create a biological material with human constituents is described. The dissertation also describes efforts to incorporate factors such as soluble and mechanical stimuli into the process to improve the quantity, quality, and composition of the extracted material. The results suggest this engineered tissue may have commercial applications as a tissue engineering scaffold or a stand alone implant material. |
