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Metre-long cell-laden microfibres exhibit tissue morphologies and functions

Metre-long cell-laden microfibres exhibit tissue morphologies and functions

Authors :
Akane Itou
Yuto Shimoyama
Yukiko T. Matsunaga
Shoji Takeuchi
Daisuke Kiriya
Teru Okitsu
Midori Kato-Negishi
Shintaroh Iwanaga
Riho Gojo
Hiroaki Onoe
Shigenori Miura
Kaori Kuribayashi-Shigetomi
Koji Sato
Source :
Nature Materials. 12:584-590
Publication Year :
2013
Publisher :
Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2013.

Abstract

Artificial reconstruction of fibre-shaped cellular constructs could greatly contribute to tissue assembly in vitro. Here we show that, by using a microfluidic device with double-coaxial laminar flow, metre-long core-shell hydrogel microfibres encapsulating ECM proteins and differentiated cells or somatic stem cells can be fabricated, and that the microfibres reconstitute intrinsic morphologies and functions of living tissues. We also show that these functional fibres can be assembled, by weaving and reeling, into macroscopic cellular structures with various spatial patterns. Moreover, fibres encapsulating primary pancreatic islet cells and transplanted through a microcatheter into the subrenal capsular space of diabetic mice normalized blood glucose concentrations for about two weeks. These microfibres may find use as templates for the reconstruction of fibre-shaped functional tissues that mimic muscle fibres, blood vessels or nerve networks in vivo.

Details

ISSN :
14764660 and 14761122
Volume :
12
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Nature Materials
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....e99789a3c924128faef440773429c624
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3606