Oxygen supply for tissue engineering

Abstract

Adequate oxygen transport is vital to the success of a tissue-engineered construct. Modulating oxygen tension within tissue-engineered constructs is necessary for the creation of devices with optimal functionality. Oxygen tension significantly influences cellular behavior through mechanisms which promote both cell proliferation and apoptosis. Given the negative consequences of low oxygen tension for most grafted tissues, many investigators have worked to improve oxygen tension within tissue engineered scaffolds through the use of synthetic oxygen carriers, natural or artificial heme, and polymeric oxygen generating thin films, or by inducing blood vessel growth into the matrix. Cellular oxygen consumption and transport within a scaffold can be calculated and predicted using diffusion models to improve device design. This section explores the interplay between fundamental engineering and biological processes used to modulate oxygen tension for the creation of functional tissue-engineered devices.