A Synthetic Ovary Allows Sterilized Mice to Give Birth
In fertility studies of mice, bioengineers at Northwestern University have determined that the architecture of a 3-D printed bioprosthetic ovary determines the survival rate of implanted follicle cells. Thirty to 60 degree angles in the scaffold gave the cells greater survivability. The researchers concluded that “Follicle-seeded scaffolds become highly vascularized and ovarian function is fully restored when implanted in surgically sterilized mice. Moreover, pups are born through natural mating and thrive through maternal lactation. These findings present an in vivo functional ovarian implant designed with 3D printing, and indicate that scaffold pore architecture is a critical variable in additively manufactured scaffold design for functional tissue engineering.“ MORE
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