Scaffolds and cells - making replacement body parts in the lab
We are delighted to have been selected to present at the BBSRC GB Bioscience 2014 Festival, In London this November. We have now presented “Scaffolds and cells - making replacement body parts in the lab” at an NHS Open Day at Southampton General Hospital on Saturday 27th September 2014 (Southampton General Hospital) and a Postgraduate Conference on 19th June 2014.
Exhibit title
Scaffolds and cells – making replacement body parts in the lab
List of team members
Description of the science behind the exhibit
Medical advances have led to a welcome increase in life expectancy but with this comes problems associated with tissue loss and a need for replacement tissues.
We are using stem cells isolated from adult tissues such as the bone marrow, and engineered materials as scaffolds, to develop pieces of bone and cartilage tissue in the lab. We are also interested in finding ways of coaxing the body to regenerate itself with drugs and chemicals and to harness the repair capacity of our bodies.
Our ultimate aim is to deliver stem cells together with the right scaffolds and factors to generate and repair damaged or diseased tissue for patient use.
A summary of the exciting activities showcased
- Stem Cells Pinball Cascade – a fully functioning giant pinball machine to illustrate stem cells.
- Engineer-it-yourself cartilage implant made by casting ‘stem cells’ in a moulded gel.
- A range of hands-on biomaterial prostheses (hip implants, artificial joints)
- A range of 3D printed bone and cartilage constructs , interactive computer displays and and large (48” monitors) 3D images (with glasses) .
