McMaster scientists create robust cell sheets in five hours using simple tools, opening new paths for tissue repair and cultivated meat.
The next breakthrough in tissue engineering isn’t coming from a futuristic bioprinter. It’s coming from a silicone dish, a spatula, and a pair of tweezers.Researchers at McMaster University have developed a rapid and inexpensive method to produce “mechanically robust” cell sheets in just five hours, a dramatic leap compared to existing scaffold-free techniques that take up to two weeks.
The work, led by P. Ravi Selvaganapathy, professor and co-director of biomedical engineering, was recently published in a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. And despite the simplicity of the setup, the implications span burn care, organ repair, and even cultivated meat production.The key innovation comes from an unlikely place: a vessel that cells don’t like.Smart surface scienceThe team discovered that cells seeded in a polydimethylsiloxane silicone vessel avoid sticking to the surface and instead bind to one another, assembling into a cohesive sheet.“Instead of adhering to the vessel, cells stick to each other, forming a sheet-like structure,” Maedeh Khodamoradi, a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering, said in a statement. “This structure is ideal for applications such as wound coverings or burn treatments.”Because the sheets can be made using a patient’s own stem cells, the risk of rejection drops significantly. The method also avoids animal-derived scaffolds and synthetic matrices, both of which can trigger immune responses.“Within five hours, we can create a mechanically robust cell sheet about five centimetres across,” Selvaganapathy told reporters. “Other methods take weeks.”Functionality tests show the cells remain active and healthy. “We have identified critical conditions that make them form sheets instead,” said Syedaydin Jalali, a postdoctoral fellow. “It’s a key breakthrough.”The silicone material itself is bioinert and non-cytotoxic—two traits essential for future clinical use.Living bandage potentialAs global populations age, the demand for tissue regeneration is rising. The McMaster technique could lead to faster production of skin substitutes, cardiac patches, kidney tissues, and other layered structures.The team has partnered with burn surgeon Marc G. Jeschke at Hamilton Health Sciences to prepare for upcoming human clinical trials at the Regenerative Medicine Centre. Surgeons have already handled the sheets in early tests.“This is a very effective way to deliver stem cells exactly where they’re needed,” Selvaganapathy said. “Think of it like a living bandage… The surgeons who have used these sheets really like it for their robustness and ease of handling.”Beyond medicine, the process could change the cultivated meat industry. Layering sheets of muscle and fat cells could reproduce the marbling and texture of real meat, a challenge that has long held back the sector.“Any tissue that is layered could benefit from this research,” Selvaganapathy said.Researchers in the C20/20 Lab, led by Heather Sheardown, are already exploring applications in retinal, cardiac, and kidney tissues.Khodamoradi called the discovery “interesting,” but the impact may be far greater. As Selvaganapathy explained, “Our goal is to democratize the production of large-scale cell sheet production… We see a significant opportunity for regenerative medicine and its application to be more widespread.”
Cultivated Meat Mcmaster University PDMS Regenerative Medicine Silicone Vessel Stem Cells Tissue Engineering
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