This invention relates to three-dimensional myocardial infarct organoids and methods of making and using the same for screening compounds that improve cardiac function and compounds that diminish cardiac function.

Disclosed herein are various bioreactor devices that mimic the mammalian joint. The bioreactor device can include a series of bioreactor chambers that contain different components of the joint, such as bone, cartilage, synovium, nerve and ligament. At least two different nutrient fluid circulation systems connect subsets of the bioreactor chambers to differentially supply nutrient fluids at concentrations optimized for the tissue that the fluid nourishes. For example, relatively hypoxic fluid can be supplied to synovium and cartilage to mimic oxygenation in the joint compartment, but normoxic fluid can be supplied to the bone and other components that have an arterial supply that provides higher oxygen concentrations. One or more or all of the bioreactor chambers can be supplied with separate inlets through which perturbation agents (such as drugs or other agents) can be introduced to model the effect of the perturbations on different components of the system. In some cases, the system can include a well plate having a plurality of wells and a bioreactor situated in each well of the well plate.

A bioreactor and methods for use can include a microfibrous scaffold, that can be made of a composite bioink, and that can have endothelial cells directly embedded within the scaffold using an additive manufacturing process. The scaffold can further be seeded with cardiomyocytes. The hydrogel scaffold can be composed of a plurality of serpentine layers, with each serpentine layers, which can be placed on each other in a cross-hatch configuration, so that the primary axes of successive layers are perpendicular. This configuration can establish an aspect ratio for the scaffold, which can be selectively varied. For greater strength, the successive layers that have a primary axis in the same direction can be placed in the scaffold so that they are slight offset from each other. The scaffold can be placed in the bioreactor with perfusion, for use in cardiovascular drug screening and other nanomedicine endeavors.

A method for fabricating an in vitro vessel includes forming a substrate that defines a microfluidic passage therein extending along a longitudinal axis and defined by an inner surface, positioning the substrate in a vertical orientation whereby an acute angle is formed between the longitudinal axis of the microfluidic passage and the direction of gravity, and culturing a plurality of first cells in the microfluidic passage while the substrate is disposed in the vertical orientation whereby an annular layer of the plurality of first cells is formed in the microfluidic channel, wherein the layer of the plurality of first cells defines a lumen extending longitudinally through the microfluidic channel.

Described herein are methods for providing an in vitro intestinal model system, e.g., using primary cells instead of cell lines and/or cancerous cells.

The present invention provides a differentiation medium for differentiation and expansion of a multicellular aggregation in suspension derived from human pluripotent stem cells that has been induced to differentiate to an artificial tissue structure such as artificial neural tissue, said medium comprising a basal medium for animal or human cells, wherein said differentiation medium has a viscosity between 1.7 mPa*s and 1500 mPa*s. Said viscosity is achieved by the presence of a viscosity enhancer such as methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, or hydroxy ethyl cellulose in said differentiation medium. Also disclosed are an in-vitro method for obtaining artificial neural tissue and a kit comprising said differentiation medium.

The present invention provides for a liver tissue model construct composed of biomaterials and cells, to be used for scientific research within in the 3D liver tissue modelling field. The applications of said tissue model construct can be specific for pharmaceutical evaluations and/or discoveries, regenerative medicine investigations, tissue engineering developments, and liver physiology and/or pathology.

There is provided a novel method for culturing a hepatic epithelioid tissue. The method uses a method for forming a hepatic epithelioid tissue having a structure of connections between hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells, comprising a step of culturing bile duct epithelial cells on a collagen gel, and a step of inoculating and culturing hepatocytes on the cultured bile duct epithelial cells.

The present invention relates to a composite membrane. The composite membrane includes: an elastic polymer substrate having a first surface processed by a surface modification; and a thermosensitive conductive layer formed on the first surface by performing a co-polymerization process, allowing an electrical current to pass through, and altering a hydrophilicity of a membrane surface in response to a change of a temperature.

In vitro equine organ model systems, and methods of making and using such systems, are provided and can include an organoid prepared using equine tissue associated with the organ of interest; or equine primary cells, wherein the equine primary cells are derived from equine tissue associated with an organ of interest, or derived from an organoid prepared using equine tissue associated with the organ of interest.