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Feb.
10, 2003 |
New Software Will Further Advance Tissue Engineering
Rensselaer researchers have developed adaptive
computer simulation software that promises to advance tissue engineering.
This paves the way for new and safer implants and transplants
engineered from human tissue. Better products mean safer implantations
and less risk of patient rejection and infection.
 The
software is currently being used to design a bioartificial artery
formed from a combination of Teflon, collagen, and muscle cells.
It was developed by Dean of Science Joseph Flaherty, graduate
student Toshiro Ohsumi, and other colleagues at Rensselaer's Scientific
Computation Research Center.
Flaherty's team expanded a mathematical model
that is widely used to solve scientific and engineering problems,
such as bridge or aircraft design. The expanded method adapts
to the complex phases and different parts of a biological simulation.
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"As we realize the enormous potential
of tissue engineering, there is an increasing need for computer-aided
design to optimize the fabrication of bioartificial tissues.
Simulation systems, such as ours, provide researchers with
an optimal starting point, thereby limiting the number of
costly trials and increasing the accuracy of experimentation."
—Joseph Flaherty—
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For instance, all parts of an artery are not created
equal. To withstand the stress at the point of suture, the ends
of the blood vessel must be thicker than its middle. Before fabricating
a bioartificial artery, the simulation takes into account how
the materials and biological elements change as the artery is
formed. This allows one to determine how well the final product
will withstand the constant pulsating flow of blood.
Research that results in such sophisticated software
and other information technology highlights the growing the trend
toward computer simulation in concert with experimentation, Flaherty
says.
"As we realize the enormous potential of
tissue engineering, there is an increasing need for computer-aided
design to optimize the fabrication of bioartificial tissues,"
Flaherty says. "Simulation systems, such as ours, provide
researchers with an optimal starting point, thereby limiting the
number of costly trials and increasing the accuracy of experimentation."
The software can be applied to numerous chemical
and biological processes to better understand wound-healing, for
instance. Project collaborators also include researchers at the
University of Minnesota.
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