RESERACH AREA

Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine

Introduction

Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine represents INVITROVO’s dedicated effort to address the global shortage of viable donor organs and the limitations of current medical interventions for tissue loss and organ failure. This field integrates advanced concepts from cell biology, material science, and engineering to develop functional substitutes that can repair, replace, or enhance the natural regeneration of damaged tissues and organs within the body. Our work aims to restore function and improve the quality of life for patients facing chronic degenerative diseases and traumatic injuries.

Research Spectrum

Our division applies sophisticated techniques to translate basic science into clinical reality. The spectrum of our research includes:
- Scaffold Design and Biomanufacturing: Development of bio-mimetic scaffolds—using both synthetic and natural biomaterials—that provide structural support and crucial biochemical as well as electromechanical signals for cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation.
- Cell Source and Programming: Identification, isolation, and controlled differentiation of relevant cell types, including pluripotent (e.g., iPSCs) and adult stem cells, for seeding scaffolds and promoting tissue integration.
- Vascularization and Innervation: Engineering strategies to ensure engineered tissues develop functional blood vessel networks (vascularization) and nerve connections (innervation), which are critical for long-term survival and functionality in vivo.
- Bioreactor and Culture Systems: Design and optimization of specialized bioreactors that simulate the native physiological environment, allowing for the precise maturation and mechanical conditioning of complex tissue constructs before implantation.
- Immunomodulation in Regeneration: Investigating methods to modulate the host immune response to prevent rejection and promote seamless integration of engineered tissues and cells.
Dynamic and Multi-stimuli Responsive Systems: Designing advanced constructs that dynamically sense and respond to multiple internal (e.g., pH, enzymes, redox potential, temperature, glucose), external (e.g., mechanical load, magnetic field, electrical field, ultrasound), and biochemical (e.g., growth factors, cytokines, peptides) stimuli to precisely guide and optimize complex tissue formation in situ.

Core Objectives

Our translational objectives drive the development of clinically relevant solutions. Our primary goals are:
- To Develop Functional Tissue Substitutes: To create fully functional, vascularized, and innervated living replacements for damaged tissues (e.g., bone, cartilage, skin, cardiac muscle).
- To Promote in situ Regeneration: To design innovative scaffolds that actively recruit the body’s own cells to the site of injury, enabling tissue regeneration without the need for external cell culture.
- To Accelerate Clinical Translation: To rapidly move promising tissue engineering constructs from the benchtop into pre-clinical and clinical trials, ensuring robust safety, tissue integration and efficacy testing.
- To Advance Personalized Medicine: To utilize patient-derived cells and 3D bioprinting techniques to create patient-specific grafts, minimizing immune rejection and maximizing therapeutic outcomes.