In early 2006 it was estimated that by the end of the year over 200,000 additional women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and that almost 41,000 women will die from the disease. Diagnosis of breast cancer often leads to surgical tumor removal and a subsequent breast augmentation procedure. Tissue engineering methods are currently being utilized to develop permanent, biologically based soft tissue restoration methods with the goal of rendering current augmentation procedures obsolete. A minimally-invasive breast reconstruction option using injectable cellular tissue engineered scaffolds has been proposed. With successful implantation and cellular control, permanent biological restoration of adipose tissue can be achieved utilizing autologous patient cells. The initiation of tumor reformation in the breast locale is also of concern, and thus the delivery of anti-cancer agents via injectable breast tissue engineering scaffolds is also being explored.

The purpose of this study was to develop and assess a potential key feature in a minimally-invasive breast reconstruction device and to collect information for an in vitro tissue test system. Tannic acid is a hydrolysable plant tannin, and it has been determined that tannic acid functions as a collagen crosslinking agent through both hydrogen bonding mechanisms and hydrophobic effects. Additionally, current research suggests that tannic acid may have anti-tumor properties. Therefore, it has been proposed that tannic acid can be used as an agent to induce apoptotic processes in any transplanted adult stem cells that are inclined to spontaneously transform. Furthermore, collagen scaffolds can be used as a vehicle to deliver tannic acid to the tissue margins surrounding a tumor following a lumpectomy procedure as a form of adjuvant therapy.

The results presented in this thesis provide information not only about changes in characteristics of collagen substrates but also about changes in the behavior of cells that were in contact with these substrates. As the effectiveness of a minimally-invasive injectable device continues to be improved, the appropriate timing of tannic acid, if any, in the reconstruction series can be identified.