| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
Materials Science & Technology 2011
|
| Symposium
|
Next Generation Biomaterials
|
| Presentation Title |
Materials Development for Biomimetic Engineered Skin Mechanics |
| Author(s) |
Heather Powell |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Heather Powell |
| Abstract Scope |
Regenerative medicine provides alternate treatment options for diseased and damaged tissues when standard autografts are not available. However, insufficient tissue mechanics often limit their clinical utility. Scaffold strengthening and mechanical stimulation have been used improve the biomechanics of engineered skin. Unfortunately, these strategies have resulted in only modest improvements in skin mechanics. Thus an improved understanding of the relationship between scaffold properties, mechanical stimulation and tissue biomechanics are needed. Our current work focuses on the use of computational modeling to explore 1) the local mechanical environment in native human skin and 2) to understand the role of scaffold architecture and mechanics on the transfer of external mechanical stresses throughout the epidermis and dermis of engineered skin. Scaffold mechanics and the magnitude of interdigitation between the epidermis and dermis of engineered skin were modulated to mimic native distribution of stress and significantly increase engineered skin biomechanics. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |