A versatile modular bioreactor platform for Tissue Engineering

• Published in: Biotechnology journal Vol. 12; no. 2
• Main Authors: Schuerlein, Sebastian, Schwarz, Thomas, Krziminski, Steffan, Gätzner, Sabine, Hoppensack, Anke, Schwedhelm, Ivo, Schweinlin, Matthias, Walles, Heike, Hansmann, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY‐VCH Verlag 01.02.2017
• Subjects: Bioreactors; Clinical application; Industrial application; Modular bioreactor platform; Regenerative Medicine; Regenerative Medicine - methods; Tissue Engineering; Tissue Engineering - methods; Modular bioreactor platform; Regenerative Medicine; Clinical application; Industrial application; Tissue Engineering
• ISSN: 1860-6768; 1860-7314
• DOI: 10.1002/biot.201600326

Tissue Engineering (TE) bears potential to overcome the persistent shortage of donor organs in transplantation medicine. Additionally, TE products are applied as human test systems in pharmaceutical research to close the gap between animal testing and the administration of drugs to human subjects in clinical trials. However, generating a tissue requires complex culture conditions provided by bioreactors. Currently, the translation of TE technologies into clinical and industrial applications is limited due to a wide range of different tissue‐specific, non‐disposable bioreactor systems. To ensure a high level of standardization, a suitable cost‐effectiveness, and a safe graft production, a generic modular bioreactor platform was developed. Functional modules provide robust control of culture processes, e.g. medium transport, gas exchange, heating, or trapping of floating air bubbles. Characterization revealed improved performance of the modules in comparison to traditional cell culture equipment such as incubators, or peristaltic pumps. By combining the modules, a broad range of culture conditions can be achieved. The novel bioreactor platform allows using disposable components and facilitates tissue culture in closed fluidic systems. By sustaining native carotid arteries, engineering a blood vessel, and generating intestinal tissue models according to a previously published protocol the feasibility and performance of the bioreactor platform was demonstrated. Generating tissues or organs by using Tissue Engineering requires complex culture conditions beyond the functionality of standard cell culture incubators. In this study an automated, compact, flexible, modular bioreactor platform addressing the requirements of Tissue Engineering applications is developed. Therefore, the modules were combined according to specific Tissue Engineering processes.