Assessment of in vitro engineered microvascular networks and their application in the treatment of chronic wounds

As the number of individuals suffering from tissue loss and end-stage organ failure continues to grow, researchers are turning to tissue engineering to provide better methods of treatment. The field, however, still faces many technical challenges that are limiting its applications. One challenge faced in engineering more complex tissues and organs is the need for inherent microvasculature to supply the tissue with nutrients and oxygen. Researchers at The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory have developed a method for engineering microvascular networks in vitro using various microfabrication techniques. This paper discusses the current state of the research and technical challenges to overcome before commercializing the technology. The feasibility of using the networks in the nearer term application of treating chronic wounds will also be assessed, and a potential business strategy will be laid out.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• King, Connie Hong-Yee

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Mark Keegan and Darrell J. Irvine.

• Materials Science and Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42154

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/42154