Issue |
J Extra Corpor Technol
Volume 35, Number 3, September 2003
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 200 - 202 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/ject/2003353200 | |
Published online | 11 December 2023 |
Original Article
Bioreactors for Tissue Engineering— A New Role for Perfusionists?
Cardiovascular Perfusion Program, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
* Address correspondence to: Joseph J. Sistino, MPA, CCP, 101 Doughty Street, Charleston, SC, 29407.
Received:
22
March
2002
Accepted:
25
August
2003
Tissue engineering is an exciting new area of medicine with rapid growth and expansion over the last decade. It has the potential to have a profound impact on the practice of medicine and influence the economic development in the industry of biotechnology. In almost every specialty of medicine, the ability to generate replacement cells and develop tissues will change the focus from artificial organs and transplantation to growing replacement organs from the patient's own stem cells. Once these organs are at a size that requires perfusion to maintain oxygen and nutrient delivery, then automated perfusion systems termed "bioreactors" will be necessary to sustain the organ until harvesting. The design of these "bioreactors" will have a crucial role in the maintenance of cellular function throughout the growth period. The perfusion schemes necessary to determine the optimal conditions have not been well elucidated and will undergo extensive research over the next decade. The key to progress in this endeavor will development of long-term perfusion techniques and identifying the ideal pressures, flow rates, type of flow (pulsatile/nonpulsatile), and perfusate solution. Perfusionists are considered experts in the field of whole body perfusion, and it is possible that they can participate in the development and operation of these "bioreactors." Additional education of perfusionists in the area of tissue engineering is necessary in order for them to become integral parts of this exciting new area of medicine.
Key words: tissue engineering / bioreactors / organ preservation / transplantation
© 2003 AMSECT
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.