Figure 1.

(a) New tissue formed in three-dimensional matrix channels. Actin stress fibres are stained with phalloidin-FITC and visualized under a confocal laser scanning microscope. Here, the tissue formation is shown (i–iii) after 21 days and (iv) after 30 days of cell culture in the channels of a (i) triangular, (ii) square, (iii) hexagonal and (iv) round shape introduced into a HA plate in vitro. (b) Numerical simulation of tissue formation within channels of various shapes: (i) triangular, (ii) square, (iii) hexagonal and (iv) round. The lines (early time point 1, ongoing times 2 and 3) mark the simulated development of tissue formation due to ongoing culture time, which corresponds closely to the observed development of new tissue formation in vitro.