Scientists have proposed to grow tissue for transplantation in robots

Over the past couple of decades, robotics has achieved significant results. Four-legged robots, wheeled robots, ultra-precise manipulators - all this is only part of the abundance of models that we are now seeing. Of all the types of robots, humanoid systems seem to be of the greatest interest to ordinary people and scientists. Such devices are now actively helping people - they are used in the hotel business, in scientific and military developments, in everyday life and medicine. As an example of the most advanced models, Kenshiro and Eccerobot can be cited. These robots have an analog of bones and muscles (the developers initially planned to repeat the structure of the human body), so their movements resemble human ones.

Since the anatomy of these robots is close to the original, some scientists are considering the possibility of creating so-called bioreactors from such systems. The purpose of any bioreactor is to create optimal conditions for the vital activity of cells and microorganisms cultivated in it, namely, to provide respiration, supply of food and removal of metabolites by uniform mixing of the gas and liquid components of the bioreactor. This article is about tissue-growing systems for transplanting to human patients. While organs can be taken for transplantation from donors, physicians often require tendons, ligaments, bones, and cartilage. Little by little, they are being taught to grow, but in order to put “production on stream”, we need bioreactors, where we can grow tissue fragments according to given parameters.

In addition, in order for the properties of such tissues to meet the criteria for transplantation, they must be grown in certain conditions, including the presence of substances necessary for growth and a certain mechanical load or mechanical stimulation, as this factor is also called.
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Unfortunately, this is not so easy to do, since the design of modern bioreactors is largely primitive. In a mechanical bioreactor, mixing is performed with a mechanical stirrer, which leads to insufficient uniform mixing on the one hand, and the death of microorganisms on the other. The mixing mode can be changed, but it is difficult to call this type of reactor optimal. Processes that occur in a real organism, including mechanical loads, cannot reproduce such reactors. As a result, the quality of the grown tissues suffers.



The optimal design of the bioreactor should include the possibility of adding mechanical loads for different directions, emulating the mode of mechanical loads for tissues of different types, in accordance with the anatomical location of specific tissues and general compliance of the conditions of growing tissues with the conditions in the human body.

According to biologist Andrew Carr (Andrew Carr) and his colleagues, the design of the bioreactor should repeat the anatomy of the human body - those parts for which tissue is grown. Therefore, humanoid robots with a skeleton and muscles, repeating the configuration of the skeleton and human muscles - the best option.

Experts from the University of Tokyo offered their version of such a system. This is Kenshiro's robot . The Japanese have been working with this project for about 7 years, significantly improving the design of the robot.

The configuration of the body of this system is similar to the body structure of a 12-year-old Japanese boy. Its height is 158 centimeters, weight - 50 kg. The body of the robot is equipped with an almost complete set of muscles, which is in humans. In total, scientists added 160 such muscles: 50 in the legs, 76 - the torso, 12 - the shoulders, 22 - the neck. At the moment, Keshiro is the most perfect repetition of human anatomy in a robot.


What is common between the bioreactor and this robot? Andrew Carr believes that Keshiro or other similar systems can be transformed into advanced bioreactors. Muscle cells will be expanded on electroactive polymers of the artificial muscles of the robot. In the process of growth, new fabrics will be subjected to mechanical loads, so that the resulting samples will meet all the necessary requirements. Similarly, scientists are going to grow other tissues, including tendons and cartilage.

The future bioreactor may well look like the Terminator T-800 model. Human tissues, including muscles, cartilage, ligaments, and skin, are gradually growing on the metal or polymer frame. The entire robot or its individual elements move, so that the tissues are subjected to the necessary mechanical loads. After a certain period of time, these tissues are removed from the framework for transplantation to a human donor. Such bioreactors will eliminate the need for animal testing in clinical trials.

By the way, in the distant future, events may develop in a different way: people will gradually turn into robots, more precisely, into cyborgs.

DOI: 10.1126 / scirobotics.aam5666