University of Minnesota

Timothy Sanuel Girton

Robert T Tranquillo

Daniel L Mooradian

Stefano Guido

Tissue-equivalent and biopolymer tubes and rods include fibrils which are oriented (aligned) by a magnetic field. These oriented fibrils provide enhanced mechanical and cell guidance properties to the tissue-equivalent and biopolymer tubes. One such tissue-equivalent tube includes a body of collagen gel with mammalian tissue cells interspersed therein. The collagen fibrils are circumferentially oriented within the tubular body by a magnetic field, thereby inducing circumferential orientation of the cells. One such biopolymer rod includes collagen fibrils longitudinally oriented along the rod axis by a magnetic field that guides invasion of cells. Methods of making magnetically oriented tissue-equivalent and biopolymer tubes and rods are also disclosed.

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Little Canada, MN, United States of America

Timothy Sanuel Girton