Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 9
Exploring the Future of Hydrogels in Rapid
Prototyping: A Review on Current Trends
and Limitations
Thomas Billiet , Mieke Vandenhaute , Jorg Schelfhout ,
Sandra Van Vlierberghe , and Peter Dubruel
9.1
Introduction
To date, organ and tissue transplantation remains one of the most important
straightforward options in order to restore or enhance life expectancy. The most
recent annual report prepared by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients
(SRTR) in collaboration with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network
(OPTN) registered 100,597 patients in the USA awaiting transplantation at the end
of 2008, while only 27,281 transplantations were performed [ 1 ]. If we keep the
steady increase in life expectancy in mind, these numbers emphasize the shortage of
organ donors. In addition, diseases, infections and rejection of the tissue by the host
often complicate transplantation [ 2 ]. To overcome these problems associated with
transplantation, in the last few decades, tissue engineering (TE) has grown as a new
inter- and multidisciplinary scienti fi c fi eld [ 3 ]. This discipline has rapidly emerged
and combines the principles of engineering and life sciences. It holds as main objec-
tive the recovery, maintenance and improvement of tissue performance [ 3- 5 ] . The
European Commission on Health and Consumer Protection defines TE as the per-
suasion of the body to heal itself through the delivery, to the appropriate site, inde-
pendently or in synergy, of cells, biomolecules and supporting structures [ 6 ] .
Researchers will strive to fulfil those aforementioned objectives through the uti-
lization of isolated cells [ 7- 10 ] , tissue-inducing substances [ 11- 13 ] and/or scaf-
folds [ 2, 3, 5, 14 ]. However, conventionally, the application of a supporting scaffold
is preferred in circumstances where the defect acquires certain dimensions. Post-
processing cell seeding and maturation to tissue has therefore been implemented as
T. Billiet • M. Vandenhaute • J. Schelfhout • S. V. Vlierberghe • P. Dubruel ( * )
Polymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Research Group , Ghent University ,
Krijgslaan 281 S4 Bis , Ghent 9000 , Belgium
e-mail: thomas.billiet@ugent.be ; mieke.vanderhaute@ugent.be ; jorg.schelfhout@ugent.be ;
sandra.vanvlierberghe@ugent.be ; peter.dubruel@ugent.be
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