HyTEC: Hybrid Tissue Engineering Construct

Researchers at Stanford have developed a porous biologics-loaded multimaterial construct, called Hybrid Tissue Engineering Construct (HyTEC), with applications in regenerative medicine and therapeutic delivery. The new strategy enables incorporation of biologics (e.g., biomolecules, drugs or cells) through a uniform thick hydrogel layer onto porous scaffolds while retaining interconnected open pores, or onto non-porous implants. Existing coating techniques, including layer-by-layer coating and adhesive coating, have been used to load biomolecules on the surface of porous implants. However, these techniques restrict loading to a limited amount of biomolecules. Loading a large or tunable dose of biomolecules on implants is particularly important since the effective dose of biomolecules is often high in vivo and could be different for various indications. For the HyTEC proof of concept, the researchers loaded model proteins and cells on 3D printed biodegradable polycaprolactone and ?-tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP) as a model polymer-ceramic porous scaffold, a PCL-TCP rod as a model polymer-ceramic non-porous implant, and stainless steel needles as a model metal.

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Stanford docket S20-459: Learn how the HyTEC platform is being used to develop a bioactive intramedullary implant for reconstruction of bone defect, deformity and nonunion.