Realizing the Promise of Realizing the Promise of Regenerative Medicine:Regenerative Medicine:

Growing Tissues and Organs Growing Tissues and Organs for Transplantationfor Transplantation

Richard E. SwajaRichard E. SwajaDirector – SC Bioengineering AllianceDirector – SC Bioengineering Alliance

Director – Clemson-MUSC Bioengineering Director – Clemson-MUSC Bioengineering SC COEE Endowed Chair in Regenerative SC COEE Endowed Chair in Regenerative

Medicine – MUSCMedicine – MUSC

Conference on Resolving the Shortage of Conference on Resolving the Shortage of Organs for TransplantationOrgans for Transplantation

November 20, 2009November 20, 2009

Regenerative Medicine –Regenerative Medicine –Tissue Engineering Tissue Engineering

DefinitionDefinition – Combining principles and methods from the – Combining principles and methods from the physical and engineering sciences, medicine, and physical and engineering sciences, medicine, and biology to exploit living cells for therapeutic and biology to exploit living cells for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.diagnostic purposes.

Goal Goal - Develop innovative technologies and approaches - Develop innovative technologies and approaches that will enable repair, replacement, or restoration of that will enable repair, replacement, or restoration of diseased cells, tissues, and organs.diseased cells, tissues, and organs.

The Field The Field – Biochemistry, Biology, Biomaterials, – Biochemistry, Biology, Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Computer Science, Engineering, Biomechanics, Computer Science, Engineering, Imaging, Informatics, Medicine, and Physics Imaging, Informatics, Medicine, and Physics

The PromiseThe Promise

DiagnosticDiagnostic – Grow tissues – Grow tissues in vitro in vitro for testing for testing drug metabolism, uptake, toxicity, and drug metabolism, uptake, toxicity, and pathogenicity.pathogenicity.

TherapeuticTherapeutic – Grow tissues and organs – Grow tissues and organs in vivoin vivo or or in vitroin vitro for transplantation. for transplantation.

VisionVision – – Industrial-type production of functional Industrial-type production of functional complex tissues and organs for biomedical complex tissues and organs for biomedical applications.applications.

Creating Bioartificial Complex Creating Bioartificial Complex Tissues and Organs - BiofabricationTissues and Organs - Biofabrication

Bioprinting Bioprinting – Basis for fabrication– Basis for fabrication

- Computer-aided, layered deposition of - Computer-aided, layered deposition of materials (hydrogel) and living (stem) cellsmaterials (hydrogel) and living (stem) cells

- Different from classic solid scaffold followed by - Different from classic solid scaffold followed by cell seeding in bioreactor – One step compared to cell seeding in bioreactor – One step compared to twotwo

- More amenable to complex tissues and organs - More amenable to complex tissues and organs and vascularizationand vascularization

BioPrinting Using “BioInk”

BioInk = Aggregates of stem cells + hydrogel (morphogens)

Stem Cells Derived from Fat Tissue

Induced Pluripotent (iPS) Cells Induced Pluripotent (iPS) Cells

ADULT HUMAN SKIN CELLS

Expand to 107

Transfect 3 genes

Currently Available Industrial Bioprinters

Creating Bioartificial Complex Tissues Creating Bioartificial Complex Tissues and Organs – Vascularizationand Organs – Vascularization

Engineering a branched human vascular treeEngineering a branched human vascular tree

-- “The” “The” problem with creating 3D living tissues problem with creating 3D living tissues more than 4 cell layers thickmore than 4 cell layers thick

- Limits tissue engineering benefits to - Limits tissue engineering benefits to avascular structures (cartilage and cardiac avascular structures (cartilage and cardiac valves)valves)

The future of tissue and organ The future of tissue and organ biofabrication depends on engineering a biofabrication depends on engineering a functional vascular treefunctional vascular tree

Break 4 cell barrier

The South Carolina Project:The South Carolina Project:Engineering a Vascular TreeEngineering a Vascular Tree

Roadmap & TimelineRoadmap & Timeline

2003

2009

2020

Biofabrication – Plus and MinusBiofabrication – Plus and Minus

Organs generated using patient’s stem cells – no Organs generated using patient’s stem cells – no host rejection issues.host rejection issues.

Organs can be tailored to patient’s specific Organs can be tailored to patient’s specific characteristics.characteristics.

Capable of industrial-type production.Capable of industrial-type production.

It’s a big endeavor and it is going to take some It’s a big endeavor and it is going to take some time, but it will be worth the effort.time, but it will be worth the effort.