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Close-up of a tissue-engineered construct
A close-up of a tissue-engineered construct, a combination of living cells and porous biomaterial that form a living matrix for transplantation in an organism.
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Mechanical and biomedical engineer Robert Guldberg and his research team at the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing 3D-implantable constructs to enhance the repair and regeneration of bone within an organism. One approach attempts to mimic the natural process of bone repair by implanting cartilage constructs, created in an incubator, into bone defects. The project is supported by a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation.
In addition to developing constructs, Guldberg and his team are developing biomaterials that use genetically modified cells or bioactive scaffolds to stimulate the repair of defects caused by injury or diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Guldberg hopes that ultimately the technology will help lead to future advances in next-generation orthopedic implants.
Guldberg is also investigating the possibility of mechanically stimulating a bone graft repair by applying controlled, intermittent force using an in vivo hydraulic bone chamber system. Understanding how mechanics influences the repair of tissue-engineered constructs would provide microstructural design objectives for manufacturing effective biomaterial scaffolds. (Year of image: 2000)
Credit: Photo by Gary Meeks
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