Ingrid E. Chesnick1, Carol B. Fowler1,
Francis A. Avallone2, Kimberlee Potter1
1Department of Biophysics, Armed Forces
Institute of Pathology Annex, Rockville, MD, United States; 2Department
of Genitourinary Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington,
DC, United States
MRI
studies of tissue engineered constructs prior to implantation clearly
demonstrate the utility of the MRI technique for monitoring the bone
formation process. However, in our studies of osteoblast-seeded scaffolds,
implanted on the chorioallantoic membrane of a chick embryo, we have found
that the presence of angiogenic vessels and fibrous tissue around the implant
can confound MRI findings of bone deposition. On-going studies support the
use of targeted contrast agents for studying mineral deposition and blood
vessel infiltration in tissue engineered scaffolds post-implantation.