![]() Various polymeric materials have attracted interest as an alternative to this biological amniotic membrane due to their ability to meet specific needs while being able to be mass produced. ![]() However, since it is difficult to obtain a human amniotic membrane (hAM) for therapeutic use, attention has been paid to developing an alternative carrier having the immune-privileged, anti-inflammatory, and growth-promoting properties of amniotic membrane for the ocular surface reconstruction. A typical treatment for injured corneal tissue is an implantation of a patch of amniotic membrane in which the cornea cells or stem cells are cultured 12. In particular, biomaterials for corneal tissue engineering must demonstrate several important functions for their potential utility in vivo, including transparency, biocompatibility and slow biodegradability 8, 9, 10, 11. Polymer solutions or polymers are forced through an electric field which then elongates the polymer droplet, resulting in the formation of uniform fibers with nano to micrometer-scale diameters. Electrospinning has played an important role in the development of nanofibrous scaffolds for clinical use such as in tissue engineering. Supports such as a nerve conduit, an eardrum, and a cornea have been constructed by surface patterning using electrospinning to induce cell alignment 6, 7. Since the ECM plays an important role in tissues and determines the survival or functional maintenance of cells, studies have been carried out to imitate the cytoplasmic matrix 4, 5. The ideal scaffold mimics the ECM structure of the target primary tissue of the target tissue 3. A scaffold mimicking an extra cellular matrix (ECM) designed by tissue engineering is used for wound sites 1, 2. Recently, in the area of tissue engineering, research has focused on developing scaffolds that can repair or replace the functions of damaged tissues or organs. In summary, our fabricated 3D electrospun scaffold is expected to be suitable for the treatment of injuries of ocular tissues owing to the hemispherical shape and radially aligned nanofibers which can guide the direction of the main collagen and cellular actin filament in the extracellular matrix. A 3D hemispherical transparent scaffold with radially aligned nanofibers was successfully fabricated with the designed peg-top collector. A designed peg-top shaped collector, a hemispherical nonconductive device with a metal pin in the center and copper wire forming a circle around at the edge was attached to a conventional conductive collector. We proposed a novel electrospinning method using a single nonconductive hemispherical device and a metal pin. However, most conventional electrospinning equipment is only capable of fabricating a two-dimensional (2D) structured fibrous scaffold and no report is available on a 3D electrospinning method to fabricate a hemispherical scaffold to mimic the native properties of the cornea, including microscopic to macroscopic morphology and transparency. Human organs and tissue have three-dimensional (3D) morphologies for example, the morphology of the eye is a spherical shape. Expanding and improving upon this platform technology, advancements made will continue toward the development of a fully functioning and implantable liver.Tissue engineering has significantly contributed to the development of optimal treatments for individual injury sites based on their unique functional and histologic properties. Utilizing concepts such as MicroElectroMechanical systems (MEMs) technology, our laboratory is able to mimic the natural vasculature of the liver and sustain functional and viable hepatocytes. Achieving the necessary functions required for hepatic replacement is aided by the incorporation of growth factors and mitogens many that now can be bound to the polymer scaffold and released in a timely manner. Bioreactors have aided in hepatocyte survival and have proven to sustain viable cells for several weeks. Hepatic Tissue Engineering is a step toward alleviating the need for donor organs yet many challenges must be overcome including scaffold choice, cell source and immunological barriers. Liver Assist Devices (LADs) are being used to temporarily sustain liver function and bridge the period between FHF and transplantation. Due to increasing donor organ shortage, many in need of transplantation continue to remain on the waiting list. Currently, the only solution is organ transplantation. Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) attributes to rising medical cost and accounts for many deaths each year in the United States.
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