273
A lateral face evaporation method was recently proposed for fabrication of collagen
fi bril membranes (CFMs) based on type I atelocollagen extracted from tilapia fi sh
scales. In order to increase the mechanical property of these membranes they were
crosslinked in gaseous glutaraldehyde for different durations. The density and
thickness of the CFM obtained were 0.51 ± 0.04 mg/cm
3 and 50 ± 5 μm (Ikoma and
Tanaka 2012 ).
Fish cell lines have been useful in many areas of research. Originally developed
to support the growth of fi sh viruses for studies in aquatic animal viral diseases, fi sh
cell lines have been isolated from numerous species as well as tissues of origin. As
reviewed by Wagg and Lee ( 2005 ), Mauger et al. ( 2009 ) and Lakra et al. ( 2011 ), fi sh
immunology, physiology, genetics and development, toxicology, ecotoxicology,
endocrinology, disease control, biotechnology, aquaculture as well as biomedical
research are the areas for application of wide variety of fi sh cell lines. The intriguing
question about the possibility to cultivate fi sh skin cells can be positively answered
today. Although, the establishment of the eurythermic line of fi sh cells in vitro was
described by Wolf and Quimby in 1962 , primary cell cultures of Indian carp ( Labeo
rohita ) and rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) epidermal cells were fi rst reported
by Lakra and Bhonde ( 1996 ) and Lamche et al. ( 1998 ), respectively. Recently,
Rakers et al. ( 2011 ) reported the fabrication of a permanent skin cell culture from
( O. mykiss ). Thus, “the cells of the fi sh skin cell culture could be propagated over
60 passages so far. It is possible to integrate freshly harvested rainbow trout scales
into this new fi sh skin cell culture. The epithelial cells derived from the scales survived in the artifi cial micro-environment of surrounding fi broblast-like cells. Also,
antibody staining indicated that both cell types proliferated and started to build connections with the other cell type. It seems that it is possible to generate an ‘artifi cial
skin’ with two different cell types. This could lead to the development of a threedimensional test system, which might be a better in vitro representative of fi sh skin
in vivo than individual skin cell lines,” (Rakers et al. 2011 ).
One of the goals of such kind of studies is related to the establishment of a biosynthetic fi sh skin for application in aquatic robots that can emulate fi sh like autonomous underwater vehicles known as the “RoboTuna” (see the next chapter). The
paper with a very long but intriguing title “ Tissue Engineering of Fish Skin : Behavior
of Fish Cells on Poly ( ethylene glycol terephthalate )/ Poly ( butylene terephthalate )
Copolymers in Relation to the Composition of the Polymer Substrate as an Initial
Step in Constructing a Robotic / Living Tissue Hybrid ” was published by Pouliot
et al. in 2004 . Researchers studied the attachment behaviour as well as the proliferation brown bullhead ( Ameiurus nebulosus ) (BB) and of chinook salmon
( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) embryo (CHSE-214) cells. These cells were placed
on different compositions of a poly(ethylene glycol terephthalate) (PEGT) and
poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) copolymer (Polyactive) fi lms. It was shown that
“when a 55 wt.% and a 300-Da molecular mass form of PEGT was used, maximum
attachment and proliferation of CHSE-214 and BB cells was achieved. Histological
studies and immunostaining indicate the presence of collagen and cytokeratins in
the extracellular matrix formed after 14 days of culture. Porous scaffolds of PEGT/
PBT copolymers were also used for three-dimensional tissue engineering of fi sh
6.3 Fish Scales and Skin as Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
A lateral face evaporation method was recently proposed for fabrication of collagen
fi bril membranes (CFMs) based on type I atelocollagen extracted from tilapia fi sh
scales. In order to increase the mechanical property of these membranes they were
crosslinked in gaseous glutaraldehyde for different durations. The density and
thickness of the CFM obtained were 0.51 ± 0.04 mg/cm
3 and 50 ± 5 μm (Ikoma and
Tanaka 2012 ).
Fish cell lines have been useful in many areas of research. Originally developed
to support the growth of fi sh viruses for studies in aquatic animal viral diseases, fi sh
cell lines have been isolated from numerous species as well as tissues of origin. As
reviewed by Wagg and Lee ( 2005 ), Mauger et al. ( 2009 ) and Lakra et al. ( 2011 ), fi sh
immunology, physiology, genetics and development, toxicology, ecotoxicology,
endocrinology, disease control, biotechnology, aquaculture as well as biomedical
research are the areas for application of wide variety of fi sh cell lines. The intriguing
question about the possibility to cultivate fi sh skin cells can be positively answered
today. Although, the establishment of the eurythermic line of fi sh cells in vitro was
described by Wolf and Quimby in 1962 , primary cell cultures of Indian carp ( Labeo
rohita ) and rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) epidermal cells were fi rst reported
by Lakra and Bhonde ( 1996 ) and Lamche et al. ( 1998 ), respectively. Recently,
Rakers et al. ( 2011 ) reported the fabrication of a permanent skin cell culture from
( O. mykiss ). Thus, “the cells of the fi sh skin cell culture could be propagated over
60 passages so far. It is possible to integrate freshly harvested rainbow trout scales
into this new fi sh skin cell culture. The epithelial cells derived from the scales survived in the artifi cial micro-environment of surrounding fi broblast-like cells. Also,
antibody staining indicated that both cell types proliferated and started to build connections with the other cell type. It seems that it is possible to generate an ‘artifi cial
skin’ with two different cell types. This could lead to the development of a threedimensional test system, which might be a better in vitro representative of fi sh skin
in vivo than individual skin cell lines,” (Rakers et al. 2011 ).
One of the goals of such kind of studies is related to the establishment of a biosynthetic fi sh skin for application in aquatic robots that can emulate fi sh like autonomous underwater vehicles known as the “RoboTuna” (see the next chapter). The
paper with a very long but intriguing title “ Tissue Engineering of Fish Skin : Behavior
of Fish Cells on Poly ( ethylene glycol terephthalate )/ Poly ( butylene terephthalate )
Copolymers in Relation to the Composition of the Polymer Substrate as an Initial
Step in Constructing a Robotic / Living Tissue Hybrid ” was published by Pouliot
et al. in 2004 . Researchers studied the attachment behaviour as well as the proliferation brown bullhead ( Ameiurus nebulosus ) (BB) and of chinook salmon
( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) embryo (CHSE-214) cells. These cells were placed
on different compositions of a poly(ethylene glycol terephthalate) (PEGT) and
poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) copolymer (Polyactive) fi lms. It was shown that
“when a 55 wt.% and a 300-Da molecular mass form of PEGT was used, maximum
attachment and proliferation of CHSE-214 and BB cells was achieved. Histological
studies and immunostaining indicate the presence of collagen and cytokeratins in
the extracellular matrix formed after 14 days of culture. Porous scaffolds of PEGT/
PBT copolymers were also used for three-dimensional tissue engineering of fi sh
6.3 Fish Scales and Skin as Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering