4.5 Modeling flow through scaffolds
One of the preeminent challenges in tissue engineering is developing a
suitable support material to facilitate the attachment and subsequent
development of anchorage-dependent cells into full tissue [43]. This
material, called a scaffold, must at least partially mimic the in
vivo properties of the extracellular matrix of the tissue of interest
[43], and should offer i) sufficient mechanical strength, ii) a
network of interconnected pores, iii) adequate transport of oxygen and
nutrients and iv) easy removal of waste products [44]. Scaffold
dynamics and functionality have been well-studied in tissue engineering
applications [43], but novel scaffold systems are required in
cultivated meat research and development. Additionally, cultivated meat
scaffolds will need to be considerably larger than those currently in
use in tissue engineering if this nascent technology has a chance to
off-set conventional meat demand. Optimization and scaling of
scaffolding design is another area where computer modeling will be an
invaluable tool in cultivated meat research and development.
Computational modeling has been broadly utilized in tissue engineering
scaffold characterization and design [44,45]; however, we will focus
on three specific examples that should also be applicable in cultivated
meat research. One foundational way that modeling techniques can be
useful is in developing scaffold geometries. Here, it is particularly
important that the physical scaffold architecture provides adequate
porosity, and three-dimensional computer-aided design models have been
used to examine 119 polyhedrons as base units for scaffold construction
and to assess the performance of these designs [46]. Beyond the
physical architecture of the scaffold, it will be fundamentally
important to understand cell-scaffold material interactions to achieve a
controlled and reproducible cultivated meat growth system. In this
regard, computer modeling should be useful, as numerous mathematical and
computational models have focused on, for example, modeling the active
mechanosensing behavior in cell-matrix interactions [47].
In general, computational analysis of scaffold properties should
consider two phases: a solid bulk scaffold and a fluid medium inside the
pores [44]. Indeed, computational fluid dynamics are an important
part of computer modeling of scaffolds. Application of these techniques
may be used to determine optimal pore size, branching and flow rates
within the scaffold and how these may change as a scaffold becomes
cell-laden, and the influence of these parameters on the overall
cultivated meat bioreactor design [48].