Use of polymer-based microcarriers in the production of tissue scaffolds with complex geometry

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a tissue scaffold includes the following steps: a) providing a first group of cells and biocompatible hydrogel beads; b) bringing the first group of cells together with the biocompatible hydrogel beads to obtain a first cell-bead mixture; c) culturing the first cell-bead mixture to produce extracellular matrix thereby obtaining a first tissue scaffold; and d) optionally, subjecting the first tissue scaffold to mechanical conditioning thereby obtaining a mechanically conditioned first tissue scaffold. The first group of cells are anchorage dependent cells that can produce and secrete extracellular matrix. The biocompatible hydrogel beads support attachment of the first group of cells. The first group of cells and the biocompatible hydrogel beads of step b) are brought together in a mold to obtain the first cell-bead mixture; or the first group of cells and the biocompatible hydrogel beads of step b) are incubated to allow formation of bead-associated cells, the bead-associated cells are then transferred into a mold to obtain the first cell-bead mixture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.