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Fabrication of cells containing gel modules to assemble modular tissue-engineered constructs

Nature Protocols volume 1, pages 2963–2969 (2006)Cite this article

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Abstract

This paper describes a protocol to encapsulate cells in sub-millimeter-sized cylindrical collagen modules and to assemble these modules into a tissue-engineered construct within a continuous loop flow circuit. Modules are fabricated by gelling a solution of collagen, that contains suspended cells, within the lumen of a small-bore polyethylene tube. The tubing is then cut into short lengths using an automated cutter and gently vortexed to remove the cell-containing collagen modules from the tubing lumen. Modules are then randomly assembled into a modular construct by pipetting a suspension of modules into a larger tube that is positioned within a continuous flow circuit. A range of cylinder aspect ratios are achievable; therefore, this method could potentially be used to create short discs or, alternatively, long threads of soft gels, with or without encapsulated cells, for a variety of tissue-engineering applications. Module fabrication requires 1 d and assembly of a modular construct requires 2 h.

NOTE: The title of the article is incorrect as published. It should read: "Fabrication of cell-containing gel modules to assemble modular tissue-engineered constructs".

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Figure 1: Modular construct design.
Figure 2: Schematic of the module fabrication process.
Figure 3: Light microscopy images of modules fabricated using a gel-cutting process.
Figure 4: Assembled modular construct.

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Change history

  • 08 March 2007

    The title of the article is incorrect as published. It should read: "Fabrication of cell-containing gel modules to assemble modular tissue-engineered constructs".

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Z. Fang, of FCS Technologies Inc., and T. Fixler for technical assistance; and the National Institute of Health (EB001013, co-investigators E. Yeo and A. Gotlieb) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council for funding. A.P.M. and B.L. acknowledge the fellowship support of the Province of Ontario and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Training Program in Regenerative Medicine.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, M5S 3G9, Ontario, Canada

    Alison P McGuigan, Brendan Leung & Michael V Sefton

Authors
  1. Alison P McGuigan
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  2. Brendan Leung
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  3. Michael V Sefton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alison P McGuigan.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Figure 1

Automatic cutter concept drawing (PDF 74 kb)

Supplementary Figure 2

[a–d] Module fabrication process (PDF 1089 kb)

Supplementary Figure 3

Preliminary Assembly of the Flow Circuit for gas sterilization (PDF 71 kb)

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McGuigan, A., Leung, B. & Sefton, M. Fabrication of cells containing gel modules to assemble modular tissue-engineered constructs. Nat Protoc 1, 2963–2969 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2006.443

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