INTRODUCTION
Pelvic floor dysfunctions (PFDs) are a group of disorders affecting one-third of women worldwide and 50% of women above 55, with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) being the most common. Nowadays, different approaches are used to treat POP, including a surgical approach that consists in the placement of a polymeric mesh. Unfortunately, the employment of meshes has been often associated...
Endothelial cells (EC) are subjected to mechanical stimuli and respond via mechanotransduction in vivo. Endothelial cells aligning along the laminar fluid flow direction is widely known to be a morphological feature of vascular function1. Advances in tissue engineering of dynamic vascular tissue models have been increasing day by day1–3. However, the effect of flow on EC pathophysiology has...
Introduction. Market estimates show that the bone replacement market is estimated to reach USD4.94 billion by 2030, within the orthopaedic, oral and maxillofacial reconstructive sectors. Statistics provided by National Center for Biotechnology Information, estimated that in 2015 around 7 million people underwent bone replacement procedures in America. According to the World Health...
Harnessing advancements in biodegradable polymers has made tissue engineering an increasingly viable alternative, offering the benefits of established approaches whilst minimising their drawbacks. Whilst the choice of material, indication for use and ideal reconstruction are for debate, a reproducible method of assessment is required to allow for optimisation of pre-clinical technology as well...
Introduction
Melt electrowriting (MEW) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology that accurately fabricates polymer fibres onto a collector. The characteristic feature of the technology is a strong electric field between the nozzle and the collector that allows to achieve microscale resolution of the fibre, from 0.8 to 50 microns[1]. With the nozzle raised above the collector, the material...
3D bioprinting is a promising technology to fabricate complex tissue replacements layer by layer through the deposition of cells and biomaterials in a predefined path. It allows us to fabricate complicated geometries that are impossible to obtain through conventional manufacturing methods [1]. Before printing, a computational design for the intended tissue construct needs to be generated...
Melt electrowriting (MEW) has been demonstrated as one of the few biofabrication modalities capable of forming extremely thin micron-sheets for tissue engineering applications (TE). This advantage has been applied to produce planar scaffolds that mimic the tissue in patient-specific anatomical structures e.g., bone and cartilage. Despite the progress in the field, there is a need for further...
2D (two-dimensional) monolayers of Caco-2 cells, on Transwell inserts, have been widely employed to assess drug permeability and absorption of drugs across the intestine. However, 3D (three-dimensional) in vitro tissue models are more physiological relevant as they can simulate interactions with the extracellular matrix and, therefore, better recapitulate the complex in vivo intestinal tissue...
3D printing, or spatial printing, is a modern, low-cost alternative to earlier manufacturing technologies. It involves printing layer upon layer of an object designed in an appropriate digital file. As inks in 3D printers are used various filaments, most often polymeric, in solid form, which are melted in the printer head. However, the medical industry is increasingly using hydrogels as inks...
Introduction. The long-term expected outcome after a hernia mesh repair is to create a framework in the prolapsed area that facilitates the development of mechanically robust, vascularized new tissue formations. Hernias of the anterior abdominal wall and vaginal prolapse are common and traditional suture repairs are associated with high rates of recurrence. Similarly, permanent meshes, while...
