Bioengineers Create Tissues That Could Build Organ Replacements Someday

A recent invention in bioengineering is capable of building specialized tissues made of living cells. The new state-of-the-art device called BioP3 was created by Professor Jeffrey Morgan, a bioengineer at Brown University, and Dr. Andrew Blakely, a surgeon at Rhode Island Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School. According to the scientists, the BioP3 can also construct bigger structures from existing "microtissues." Thus, it would be possible to develop similar technologies that could create functional organ replacements in the future. This technology was introduced in the journal Tissue Engineering Part C.

BioP3 stands for Bio-Pick, Place, and Perfuse or the different processes involved in directing cells to form bioengineered tissues. The 3-D tissues composed of numerous living cells are sustained with a continuous supply of fluid that provides them nutrients and aids in eliminating waste. Dr. Morgan has been studying the generation of microtissues for several years and uses bioengineering techniques such as micromolding to manipulate cells. He is also the founder of the company, Microtissues Inc.

BioP3 is composed of a plastic container with two compartments. One part serves as the storage of the living cells while the other is where the larger structure from cells is built. On top of the container is a control valve with built-in tubes and an area where the operator can observe and perform the processes accurately. The researchers presented various bioengineered structures such as stacked rings and honeycombs that were formed using the device. Living components stack up to create microtissues that merge with each other to build a larger unit. According to Dr. Morgan, their technology could make honeycomb slabs that are 2 centimetres wide, with each slab containing 6 million cells. Building larger and complex structures is possible as long as they are sufficiently nourished. For now, the stacks built by the BioP3 can survive for days. More information about the cell types and structures created by the Dr. Morgan's lab are discussed in the News from Brown University.

Since the development of the BioP3 is at its infancy, operators have to create the stacks manually which takes more time. In September, the National Science Foundation gave the researchers a three-year grant of $1.4-million to improve and to automate the device for efficient generation of specialized tissues and to do further research on the technology. The researchers believe that this crucial stage establishes the foundation for building organs in the future.

To contact the writer, email: jm_panganiban@IBTimes.com.au