Artificial cells and delivery devices for use in tissue engineering, and related methods

1. A tissue growth scaffold comprising a porous material of a biocompatible polymer and a composition comprising:

a first particle comprising a first conditioned medium from a cell culture within the first particle, and having a first release profile of the first conditioned medium; and

a second particle, different from the first particle, comprising a second conditioned medium from a cell culture within the second particle, and having a second release profile of the second conditioned medium different from the first release profile,

wherein the first conditioned medium is the same as or different than the second conditioned medium,

wherein a combination of the first particle and the second particle produces an extended release profile, releasing effective amounts of the first and/or second conditioned medium beyond the first release profile.

2. The tissue growth scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the biocompatible polymer is a poly(ester urethane) urea (PEUU); poly(ether ester urethane)urea (PEEUU); poly(ester carbonate)urethane urea (PECUU); poly(carbonate)urethane urea (PCUU); a polyurethane; a polyester; a polymer comprising monomers derived from polylactide, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone), polyglycolic acid, poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide), and/or poly(l-lactide-co-dl-lactide); a polymer comprising monomers derived from polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxyvalerate, polydioxanone, and/or polyglactin; a polymer comprising monomers derived from lactones; or a polymer comprising monomers derived from polycarbonate, polyglyconate, poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate), or poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate-co-dioxanone).

3. The tissue growth scaffold of claim 1 , wherein the scaffold is a tube or a sheet.

4. A blood vessel growth scaffold comprising a porous tube of a biocompatible polymer and a composition comprising:

a first particle comprising a first conditioned medium from a cell culture within the first particle, and having a first release profile of the conditioned medium; and

a second particle, different from the first particle, comprising a second conditioned medium from a cell culture within the second particle, and having a second release profile of the second conditioned medium different from the first release profile,

wherein the first conditioned medium is the same as or different than the second conditioned medium,

wherein a combination of the first particle and the second particle produces an extended release profile, releasing effective amounts of the first and/or second conditioned medium beyond the first release profile.

5. The blood vessel growth scaffold of claim 4 , wherein the biocompatible polymer is a poly(ester urethane) urea (PEUU); poly(ether ester urethane)urea (PEEUU); poly(ester carbonate)urethane urea (PECUU); poly(carbonate)urethane urea (PCUU); a polyurethane; a polyester; a polymer comprising monomers derived from polylactide, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone), polyglycolic acid, poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide), and/or poly(l-lactide-co-dl-lactide); a polymer comprising monomers derived from polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxyvalerate, polydioxanone, and/or polyglactin; a polymer comprising monomers derived from lactones; or a polymer comprising monomers derived from polycarbonate, polyglyconate, poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate), or poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate-co-dioxanone).

6. A method of making a tissue growth scaffold comprising distributing a composition in a biocompatible polymer, the composition comprising:

a first particle comprising a first conditioned medium from a cell culture within the first particle, and having a first release profile of the conditioned medium; and

a second particle, different from the first particle, comprising a second conditioned medium from a cell culture within the second particle, and having a second release profile of the second conditioned medium different from the first release profile,

wherein the first conditioned medium is the same as or different than the second conditioned medium,

wherein a combination of the first particle and the second particle produces an extended release profile, releasing the effective amounts of the first and/or second conditioned medium beyond the first release profile in a biocompatible polymer.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the biocompatible polymer comprises a poly(ester urethane) urea (PEUU); poly(ether ester urethane)urea (PEEUU); poly(ester carbonate)urethane urea (PECUU); poly(carbonate)urethane urea (PCUU); a polyurethane; a polyester; a polymer comprising monomers derived from polylactide, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone), polyglycolic acid, poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide), and/or poly(l-lactide-co-dl-lactide); a polymer comprising monomers derived from polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxyvalerate, polydioxanone, and/or polyglactin; a polymer comprising monomers derived from lactones; or a polymer comprising monomers derived from polycarbonate, polyglyconate, poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate), or poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate-co-dioxanone).

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining the first release profile and/or the second release profile is-deter-mined in blood, water, PBS or saline.

9. A method of preparing a controlled-release composition comprising:

a) preparing a first particle by:

i) culturing cells in a cell culture medium, thereby producing a first conditioned medium;

ii) collecting the first conditioned medium;

iii) emulsifying the first conditioned medium in a volatile solvent comprising a polymer to produce a micro-emulsion; and

iv) homogenizing the micro-emulsion in an aqueous phase, so that particles precipitate as the solvent evaporates, to produce the first particle having a first release profile of the first conditioned medium;

b) preparing a second particle by:

i) culturing cells in a cell culture medium, thereby producing a second conditioned medium that is the same or different than the first cultured medium in the first particle;

ii) collecting the second conditioned medium;

iii) emulsifying the second conditioned medium in a volatile solvent comprising a polymer to produce a micro-emulsion; and

iv) homogenizing the micro-emulsion in an aqueous phase, so that particles precipitate as the solvent evaporates, to produce the second particle having a second release profile of the second conditioned medium different than the first release profile; and

c) incorporating the first and second particles into a tissue scaffold comprising a porous material comprising a biocompatible polymer,

wherein a combination of the first particle and the second particle in the scaffold produces an extended release profile, releasing the effective amounts of the first and/or second conditioned medium beyond the first release profile.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising concentrating the first and/or second medium after the collecting step and prior to the emulsifying step.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and/or second conditioned medium is from culture of a stem cell, a progenitor cell, an immune cell, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, a secretory cell, or an islet cell.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer is a polyester or polyester-containing copolymer.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein steps a)iii) and b)iii) emulsifying of the medium in a volatile solvent comprising a polymer to produce a micro-emulsion comprise sonicating the medium in a volatile solvent comprising a polymer to produce the micro-emulsions.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and/or second conditioned medium is concentrated by freezing and lyophilizing the first and/or second conditioned medium and reconstituting the first and/or second conditioned medium in a volume smaller than the original volume of first and/or second conditioned medium collected from the cell culture, to produce a first and/or second conditioned medium concentrate.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymer is a poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA); a poly(lactic acid) (PLA); a poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC); poly(caprolactone) (PCL); a poly(glycolic acid) (PGA); or a poly(glycolide-co-trimethylenecarbonate) (PGTMC).

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and/or second conditioned medium is from culture of a mesenchymal stem cell, a macrophage or an islet cell.

17. A method of producing tissue in a patient, comprising implanting a tissue growth scaffold according to claim 1 in a patient.