This tissue production system generates fully functional tissues using a combination of nucleic acid-collagen complexes and elastin to form improved hydrogels. This combination allows generated tissues to have more natural function than those constructed using hydrogels without elastin and allows for a greater diversity of tissues, including bone. The tissue engineering market should exceed $6.8 billion by 2027 and continue growing2. However, current collagen hydrogels used to construct tissues have poor mechanical properties, limiting their functionality and the diversity of tissues they can construct.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a tissue production system that combines nucleic acid-collagen complexes and elastin to control the mechanical properties of hydrogels used to construct bodily tissues. These nucleic acid-elastin-collagen complexes improve functionality of engineered tissues and enable mimicry of more tissue types in the body.
Tissue production using a combination of nucleic acid-collagen complexes and elastin to improve the mechanical properties of hydrogels and generate fully functional tissues.
Engineered tissues are promoted in hydrogels with improved mechanical properties using a combination of nucleic acid-collagen complexes and elastin. Collagen and elastin are natural components of the extracellular matrix providing much of the tissues’ overall mechanical properties. Modulation of these two components along with the DNA component allows the mechanical properties of nucleic acid-collagen complexes to be manipulated. Adjusting the mechanical properties of hydrogels allows for a greater range of tissues to be produced allowing the constructed tissues to achieve full natural function.
