Arno W. Tilles

Papers

Total Citations

104

H-Index

About

Arno W. Tilles has made pioneering contributions to tissue engineering and cellular microenvironments, with a particular focus on designing biomimetic systems for liver cell culture. His key research areas include micropatterning technologies, hepatocyte biology, and the development of engineered liver tissue models. Tilles is best known for his highly cited 2004 study, "Designing a Hepatocellular Microenvironment with Protein Microarraying and Poly(ethylene glycol) Photolithography," which has garnered over 100 citations. In this seminal work, he demonstrated the use of robotic protein printing to create micropatterned co-cultures of primary rat hepatocytes and 3T3 fibroblasts, precisely controlling cell-cell interactions on collagen spots approximately 170 micrometers in diameter. This innovative approach proved that protein microarraying could effectively engineer cellular microenvironments, enabling the study of liver-specific functions in vitro. Tilles’s work has significantly advanced the field of tissue engineering by providing a reproducible, high-throughput method for constructing defined cellular architectures. His research continues to influence the development of liver assist devices and drug screening platforms, making him a respected figure in biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine.