Center Smart Materials and Adaptive Systems CeSMA
Center Smart Materials and Adaptive Systems CeSMA

Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

Dielectric elastomer actuator for applying biaxial stress on tissues
© Fraunhofer ISC
Dielectric elastomer actuator for biaxial mechanical stimulation of cells, arranged in the circular cell dish

CeSMA develops soft actuators made of medical grade silicone elastomer that are autoclavable and can therefore come into direct contact with biological cells.

The aim is to control and promote both cell growth and the direction of growth through biaxial, mechanical stimulation. By using electrically conductive silicone, the cells can be electrically stimulated at the same time, allowing them to differentiate as i.e. muscle cells. At moderate frequencies of around 1 Hz, the actuators can perform an actuation of up to 10%. Cell adhesion is adjusted by targeted surface pretreatment/modification and structuring of the silicone film.

Tissue engineering at the Fraunhofer Translational Center for Regenerative Therapies TLC-RT in Würzburg

© Fraunhofer ISC

Tissue engineering refers to the artificial production of biological tissue and is an important part of regenerative medicine. One area of tissue engineering is the development of in vitro test systems, which can be used for researching various scientific topics such as development, infection, tumor, and pathobiology, as well as for drug and toxicity studies.

The Fraunhofer Translational Center for Regenerative Therapies TLC-RT at Fraunhofer ISC develops not only new in vitro tissue models and test systems but also production processes and biological implants, including prototypes that have a vascularized structure.

Fraunhofer TLC-RT