Engineering multi-tissue units for regenerative Medicine: Bone-tendon-muscle units of the rotator cuff

Dan Wang (Co-first Author), Xu Zhang (Co-first Author), Shuting Huang, Yang Liu, Bruma Sai-chuen Fu, Kingston King-lun Mak, Anna Maria Blocki, Patrick Shu-hang Yung, Rocky S. Tuan, Dai Fei Elmer Ker*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

50 Citations (Scopus)
91 Downloads (CityUHK Scholars)

Abstract

Our body systems are comprised of numerous multi-tissue units. For the musculoskeletal system, one of the predominant functional units is comprised of bone, tendon/ligament, and muscle tissues working in tandem to facilitate locomotion. To successfully treat musculoskeletal injuries and diseases, critical consideration and thoughtful integration of clinical, biological, and engineering aspects are necessary to achieve translational bench-to-bedside research. In particular, identifying ideal biomaterial design specifications, understanding prior and recent tissue engineering advances, and judicious application of biomaterial and fabrication technologies will be crucial for addressing current clinical challenges in engineering multi-tissue units. Using rotator cuff tears as an example, insights relevant for engineering a bone-tendon-muscle multi-tissue unit are presented. This review highlights the tissue engineering strategies for musculoskeletal repair and regeneration with implications for other bone-tendon-muscle units, their derivatives, and analogous non-musculoskeletal tissue structures.
Original languageEnglish
Article number120789
JournalBiomaterials
Volume272
Online published30 Mar 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2021
Externally publishedYes

Research Keywords

  • Biomaterials
  • Extracellular matrix
  • Growth factors
  • Musculoskeletal tissue engineering
  • Rotator cuff repair
  • Stem cells

Publisher's Copyright Statement

  • This full text is made available under CC-BY 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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