Abstract Summary
The advent of tissue and organ engineering provides a long term treatment option for conditions previously considered chronic and untreatable. However, current protocols remain complex. The purpose of this investigation was to bridge limitations by developing a cost effective, biocompatible, and customizable scaffold. The features of this scaffold were tailored to suit characteristics of islet cell transplantation. To combat hypoxia induced cell necrosis, an in situ oxygen delivery system was developed by encapsulating calcium peroxide in RTV615 polymer to temper its hydrolysis. Phase 2 experimentation consisted of optimizing the structural characteristics of the bacterial cellulose platform to aid cellular infiltration. After a one step integration of agarose, scanning electron micrographs of the scaffolds showed an open pore geometry without disrupting the favorable blood vessel morphology intrinsic to the cellulose. Porosity of the scaffold was effectively manipulated by altering agarose concentrations with the 0.5% agarose-cellulose composite group having average pore areas of 16,927 um which permits the establishment of regionalized cells islands. Surprisingly, the popular fermented tea drink, Kombucha, produces a waste product of bacterial cellulose. Scobies are simply discarded but could have untapped potential as a platform for tissue engineering and transplantation procedures. To verify bacterial cellulose as a biomimetic platform, INS-1 cells were seeded and morphological changes (such as cytoplasmic extensions and clustering) were noted, suggesting reestablishment of functional cell islands. Hence, the novel and multifaceted scaffold developed in this investigation eliminates the need for intensive processing and is customizable to the suit the needs of other cell types.
