BioMEMS Technologies for Regenerative Medicine
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1139-GG02-01
BioMEMS Technologies for Regenerative Medicine
Jeffrey T. Borenstein Biomedical Engineering Center, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Cambridge MA 02139 U.S.A.
ABSTRACT The emergence of BioMEMS fabrication technologies such as soft lithography, micromolding and assembly of 3D structures, and biodegradable microfluidics, are already making significant contributions to the field of regenerative medicine. Over the past decade, BioMEMS have evolved from early silicon laboratory devices to polymer-based structures and even biodegradable constructs suitable for a range of ex vivo and in vivo applications. These systems are still in the early stages of development, but the long-term potential of the technology promises to enable breakthroughs in health care challenges ranging from the systemic toxicity of drugs to the organ shortage. Ex vivo systems for organ assist applications are emerging for the liver, kidney and lung, and the precision and scalability of BioMEMS fabrication techniques offer the promise of dramatic improvements in device performance and patient outcomes. Ultimately, the greatest benefit from BioMEMS technologies will be realized in applications for implantable devices and systems. Principal advantages include the extreme levels of achievable miniaturization, integration of multiple functions such as delivery, sensing and closed loop control, and the ability of precision microscale and nanoscale features to reproduce the cellular microenvironment to sustain long-term functionality of engineered tissues. Drug delivery systems based on BioMEMS technologies are enabling local, programmable control over drug concentrations and pharmacokinetics for a broad spectrum of conditions and target organs. BioMEMS fabrication methods are also being applied to the development of engineered tissues for applications such as wound healing, microvascular networks and bioartificial organs. Here we review recent progress in BioMEMS-based drug delivery systems, engineered tissue constructs and organ assist devices for a range of ex vivo and in vivo applications in regenerative medicine.
INTRODUCTION The field of regenerative medicine has emerged in response to the urgent and increasing need for new therapies for diseases and injuries resulting in tissue and organ loss and failure. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) [1], there are more than 100,000 Americans on waiting lists for a vital organ transplant, and the number grows rapidly each year. Current therapeutic avenues center on cadaveric transplanted organs; in some cases donors with a genetic match may provide one of their two kidneys, or part of their liver in a split liver donor transplant. The use of animal organs, or xenotransplantation, is under active investigation, but numerous challenges remain. In all of these instances, the recipient’s immune system represents
a significant challenge in terms of cost, quality of life and safety. Ultimately the goal of the field of regenerative medicine is to provide an unlimited source of
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