Biomaterials for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering
Researchers
are developing polymers that
function as biodegradable thermoplastic elastomers, meaning that
these materials degrade within the body, can readily be processed
into a variety of shapes, and have high strength combined with flexibility.
Such materials can be combined with cells and used in the development
of tissues that are best formed under a mechanical training regimen
(e.g. blood vessels) to induce appropriate cellular orientation
and matrix elaboration. Research efforts are focused on designing
materials that can readily be altered to fit the design need in
terms of chemical, mechanical, and biological behavior. This includes
investigating novel processing methods to create architectures that
direct the intended tissue development.
