Templated assembly of collagen fibers and uses thereof

1. A biomaterial fabrication process for the manufacture of a collagen based fabric for an aligned collagen fiber network, the process comprising:

a. providing a collagen-polymer composition comprising collagen and a polymer;

b. applying the collagen-polymer composition to a first surface of a first substrate;

c. contacting the collagen-polymer composition with a first surface of a second substrate, thereby interposing the collagen-polymer composition between the first substrate and the second substrate;

d. forming a plurality of elongated collagen-polymer fibers by pressing and separating the first and second substrates along an axis thereby elongating the collagen-polymer composition and forming the plurality of elongated collagen-polymer fibers; and,

e. placing the elongated collagen-polymer fibers onto a stage thereby forming a collagen-polymer fiber layer or collagen-polymer fabric of collected collagen-polymer fibers.

2. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is dextran, hydroxypropyl cellulose, poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid-co-maleic acid), poly(acrylic acid), poly(diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride), poly(methacrylic acid), poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic acid), poly(vinyl alcohol) or poly(vinylpyrrolidone).

3. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 1 , wherein:

the collagen-polymer composition is a collagen-dextran polymer (CDP) composition;

the elongated collagen-polymer fibers are elongated CDP fibers;

the collagen-polymer fiber layer is a CDP fiber layer; and,

the collagen-polymer fabric of collected collagen-polymer fibers is a CDP fabric of collected CDP fibers.

4. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 3 , wherein the ratio of collagen to dextran in the CDP composition ranges from about 0.1% to about 1.57% collagen to about 99.9% to about 98.43% dextran.

5. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 4 , wherein the ratio of collagen to dextran in the CDP composition ranges from about 0.2% to about 0.79% collagen to about 99.8% to about 99.21% dextran.

6. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 3 , wherein the collagen is Type I collagen.

7. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 3 , wherein the CDP composition has a collagen:dextran mass fraction ranging from 0.004 to 0.008.

8. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 3 , wherein the CDP composition at 22° C. has a viscosity ranging from about 15,000 centipoise to about 100,000 centipoise as measured by the vertical falling ball method.

9. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 3 , wherein the elongated CDP fibers have a diameter ranging from about 0.1 μm to about 500 μm.

10. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 9 , wherein the elongated CDP fibers have a diameter ranging from about 1 μm to about 100 μm.

11. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 3 , wherein the elongated CDP fibers in the CDP fiber layer or CDP fabric are arranged in parallel, in orthogonal)(90°) or in multi-directional orientation.

12. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 3 , wherein the process further comprises contacting the CDP fiber layer or CDP fabric with a solvent to dissolve the dextran in the CDP fiber layer or CDP fabric.

13. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 12 , wherein the solvent to dissolve the dextran in the CDP fiber layer or CDP fabric comprises an aqueous solution.

14. The biomaterial fabrication process according to claim 13 , wherein the aqueous solution comprises water, 0.9% NaCl physiological saline, 50 mM Tris, 150 mM NaCl Tris-buffered saline, lactated Ringer's solution, Ringer-acetate solution, tissue culture media, or combinations thereof.