Replication of biological tissue
AssigneeHuntington Medical Research Institutes
InventorMarylou Ingram
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Biological tissues are grown in a low shear, microgravity environment by culturing connective tissue cells to form a three-dimensional structure, which is thereafter co-cultured with endothelial and epithelial cells to replicate naturally occurring tissues. Preferably, the three-dimensional connective tissue cells are first cultured with endothelial cells to form three-dimensional structures of connective tissue cells and endothelial cells, which are thereafter co-cultured with epithelial cells to replicate naturally occurring tissue. The cultured tissue is in the general shape of spheroids having a diameter between about 0.1 mm and about 5 m.
Claims16
A method for replicating biological tissue, the method including the steps of:
- a) culturing connective tissue cells in a nutrient medium in a bioreactor chamber to produce spheroids of connective tissue cells;
- thereafter
- b) adding endothelial cells to the bioreactor chamber to contact the spheroids of the connective tissue cells in the presence of a nutrient medium and cause the endothelial cells to invade the spheroids of connective tissue cells;
- and thereafter
- c) adding epithelial cells to the bioreactor chamber to contact the spheroids of connective tissue cells invaded with endothelial cells in the presence of a nutrient medium and cause the epithelial cells to form a tissue-like layer on the spheroids.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.