3) Cell and Tissue Engineering – Research Topics: Musculoskeletal tissue engineering

Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory

Director: Dr. Matteo Moretti

Research Topics

Musculoskeletal tissue engineering

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Tissue Engineering aims to assemble functional constructs through the combination of cells, biomaterials, and growth factors to restore damaged tissues or organs. Our lab focuses on the characterization of primary human cells, including bone marrow- and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells, chondrocytes, and osteoblasts, to define suitable cell sources for specific tissue engineering applications. In this context, we exploit custom-built bioreactors for the dynamic culture and biophysical stimulation of 3D constructs for bone, cartilage, and tendon tissue engineering. Furthermore, we exploit rapid prototyping techniques to generate high-throughput cell culture platforms and scaffolds with a controlled architecture to investigate the processes of cell proliferation and differentiation in 2D and 3D environments. In the context of strategies to improve the osteointegration of implants, we perform in vitro and in vivo studies to test the combination between trabecular metals and other materials, such as hydrogels or porous constructs.