Open AccessMoving towards in situ tracheal regeneration: the bionic tissue engineered transplantation approach
Author(s) -
Bader Augustinus,
Macchiarini Paolo
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of cellular and molecular medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.44
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1582-4934
pISSN - 1582-1838
DOI - 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2010.01073.x
Subject(s) - decellularization , regenerative medicine , tissue engineering , transplantation , mesenchymal stem cell , regeneration (biology) , cartilage , extracellular matrix , medicine , stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , immunosuppression , biomedical engineering , pathology , biology , immunology , anatomy , surgery
• Introduction • Rationales for tracheal transplantation • Historical background • Regenerative approach to tracheal replacement • Human tissue engineering tracheal replacement ‐ Detergent enzymatic method ‐ Autologous cells• ‐ Mesenchymal stem cell derived chondrocytes • ‐ Epithelial respiratory cells ‐ Bioreactor• Ongoing progress ‐ Bionic airway tissue‐engineered replacement• ConclusionsIn June 2008, the world’s first whole tissue‐engineered organ – the windpipe – was successfully transplanted into a 31‐year‐old lady, and about 18 months following surgery she is leading a near normal life without immunosuppression. This outcome has been achieved by employing three groundbreaking technologies of regenerative medicine: ( i ) a donor trachea first decellularized using a detergent (without denaturing the collagenous matrix), ( ii ) the two main autologous tracheal cells, namely mesenchymal stem cell derived cartilage‐like cells and epithelial respiratory cells and ( iii ) a specifically designed bioreactor that reseed, before implantation, the in vitro pre‐expanded and pre‐differentiated autologous cells on the desired surfaces of the decellularized matrix. Given the long‐term safety, efficacy and efforts using such a conventional approach and the potential advantages of regenerative implants to make them available for anyone, we have investigated a novel alternative concept how to fully avoid in vitro cell replication, expansion and differentiation, use the human native site as micro‐niche, potentiate the human body’s site‐specific response by adding boosting, permissive and recruitment impulses in full respect of sociological and regulatory prerequisites. This tissue‐engineered approach and ongoing research in airway transplantation is reviewed and presented here.