Medical Design Briefs - January 2024 - 34

Microfluid
device
Sustained delivery of IGF -1
from microparticles
1 for several days, the researchers used a
microfluidic system to fabricate uniformly
sized microparticles which were coated
with IGF-1. The IGF-1 was gradually released
from the surface of the microparticles
as the particles degraded.
Cell alignment
Differentiation
Myoblasts
Myotubes
One week after the muscle constructs
were created with the new bioink, the researchers
observed enhanced myoblast
alignment, fusion, and differentiation into
myotubes, which were also shown to grow
and elongate significantly more than constructs
without a sustained release of IGF1.
Interestingly, ten days after bioprinting,
the muscle tissue constructs having sustained
release of IGF-1 began to contract
spontaneously.
Preclinical studies were carried out with
3D bioprinted
skeletal muscle tissue
The TIBI approach utilizes 3D bioprinting with a bioink composed of GelMA (a biocompatible gelatin-based hydrogel),
myoblast cells, and microparticles engineered for sustained delivery of IGF-1. (Credit: Terasaki Institute)
insufficient innervation and other complications
with the transplanted tissue
can hamper full muscle recovery.
The normal process for muscle development
is gradual, where round muscle
precursor cells called myoblasts fuse to
form tubular-shaped cells called myotubes.
These myotubes eventually develop
into mature muscle fibers. In addition
to muscle cell maturation, precise
cellular alignment and orientation are
essential to successful muscle contraction
and function.
Efforts have been made to bioengineer
functional skeletal muscle tissue, but most
approaches present their own set of challenges.
For example, attempts to engineer
native-like skeletal muscle tissue using
electrospinning methods have produced
muscle tissue with the proper structural
alignment and orientation for repair and
regeneration; however, the capabilities of
the tissues for cell maturation and muscle
contraction have proven insufficient.
The TIBI approach utilizes 3D bioprinting
with a bioink composed of GelMA (a
biocompatible gelatin-based hydrogel),
myoblast cells, and microparticles engineered
for sustained delivery of IGF-1.
IGF-1 promotes muscle regeneration
and repair when present for at least ten
days. To provide sustained release of IGFmice
receiving implants of 3D bioprinted
muscle tissue constructs. Those mice implanted
with muscle tissue constructs that
offered sustained release of IGF-1 exhibited
the highest degree of muscle tissue
regeneration six weeks after implantation.
Additional in vivo experiments revealed
that sustained release of IGF-1
also triggered a well-regulated inflammatory
response that proved beneficial
for tissue repair.
" The sustained release of IGF-1 facilitates
the maturation and alignment of
muscle cells, which is a crucial step in muscle
tissue repair and regeneration, " says TIBI's
Director and CEO, Ali Khademhosseini,
PhD. " There is great potential for using
this strategy for the therapeutic creation of
functional, contractile muscle tissue. "
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Exploring a New Approach to Treating Collapsed Airways
in Newborns
An adhesive hydrogel
patch wraps around a
collapsed trachea.
EPFL
Lausanne, Switzerland
Researchers at the EPFL have achieved
a breakthrough in the treatment of tracheomalacia,
a condition characterized
by weak tracheal cartilage and muscles
that normally keep the airway open for
proper breathing. The team, composed
34
of EPFL engineers and CHUV pediatric
airway surgeons, has successfully developed
a novel adhesive hydrogel patch
that can effectively alleviate tracheomalacia,
providing hope for improved treatment
options for this challenging condition.
The proof of concept was recently
published in iScience.
Tracheomalacia is a relatively frequent
congenital condition that often results in
excessive collapse of the airway in newborns
and infants. Current treatment
methods such as tracheal reconstruction,
tracheoplasty, and stenting often
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result in extensive, long-lasting damage
to this vital organ. To address these limitations,
the researchers and surgeons
focused on developing a new strategy:
to wrap a non-invasive adhesive hydrogel
patch around the damaged trachea to
open the airway.
Hydrogel is a biocompatible and biodegradable
soft material that is increasingly
being used in biomedical applications, but
this is the first time bioengineers have explored
its structural properties for alleviating
tracheomalacia. Using numerical and
animal models, engineers Ece Uslu and
Medical Design Briefs, January 2024

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Medical Design Briefs - January 2024

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