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Effect of cell seeding and mechanical loading on vascularization and tissue formation inside a scaffold : a mechano-biological model using a lattice approach to simulate cell activity
Publikationstyp
Journal Article
Date Issued
2010-03-22
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Prendergast, Patrick J.
Journal
Volume
43
Issue
5
Start Page
961
End Page
968
Citation
Journal of Biomechanics 43 (5): 961-968 (2010)
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
Publisher
Elsevier
Achieving successful vascularization remains one of the main problems in bone tissue engineering. After scaffold implantation, the growth of capillaries into the porous construct may be too slow to provide adequate nutrients to the cells in the scaffold interior and this inhibits tissue formation in the scaffold core. Often, prior to implantation, a controlled cell culture environment is used to stimulate cell proliferation and, once in place, the mechanical environment acting on the tissue construct is determined by the loading conditions at the implantation site. To what extent do cell seeding conditions and the construct loading environment have an effect on scaffold vascularization and tissue growth? In this study, a mechano-biological model for tissue differentiation and blood vessel growth was used to determine the influence of cell seeding on vascular network development and tissue growth inside a regular-structured bone scaffold under different loading conditions. It is predicted that increasing the number of cells seeded homogeneously reduces the rate of vascularization and the maximum penetration of the vascular network, which in turn reduces bone tissue formation. The seeding of cells in the periphery of the scaffold was predicted to be beneficial for vascularization and therefore for bone growth; however, tissue formation occurred more slowly during the first weeks after implantation compared to homogeneous seeding. Low levels of mechanical loading stimulated bone formation while high levels of loading inhibited bone formation and capillary growth. This study demonstrates the feasibility of computational design approaches for bone tissue engineering.
Subjects
Angiogenesis
Bone tissue engineering
Mechanobiology
Scaffold
Tissue differentiation
DDC Class
610: Medicine, Health