Christchurch Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering (CReATE) Group
Tissue Engineering (TE) and Regenerative Medicine (RM) strategies which aim to combine a patient’s own cells with biodegradable scaffolds and growth factors, may offer considerable advantages over current surgical interventions used to repair or regenerate damaged tissues following trauma or disease.
The CReATE group consists of a multidisciplinary research team led by Dr Tim Woodfield, and is working at the interface of cell-biology, biomaterials science and engineering.
Using advanced 3D scaffolds and in-vitro culture techniques, combined with adult human stem cells, our group is attempting to identify the complex cellular environments controlling tissue growth in 3D, and their application in translating cell-based therapies to the clinic.
Figure 1: 3D desktop fibre deposition device (left) and example of rapid manufacturing process for producing customised 3D biomaterial scaffolds with designed porous architecture (right)
Research Focus
- Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine
- Advanced scaffold design and bio-manufacturing
- Orthopaedic medical devices
Details of this research at www.bioengineering.ac.nz/create
Current Research Projects
- The role of cell-cell interactions in enhancing chondrogenic differentiation potential in human adult stem cells.
- 3D Assembly of Tissue Engineered Cartilage
- Novel synthetic ECM culture models for analysing cell-material interactions in a 3D hydrogel microenvironment
- Acoustic Emission (AE) Monitoring of Early Failure and Wear in Total Joint Arthroplasty
- Spectral CT Imaging of Articular Cartilage and Bone
- Bio-resorbable Metallic Implants
Details of these projects at www.bioengineering.ac.nz/create