Transplantation without rejection
The technology of growing non-rejected liver for transplantation has been created
Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+
Scientists from Brazil have presented a very original way to restore organs from deceased people. Getting rid of almost all the contents of the tissue, except for the "skeleton" – the extracellular matrix, they solved two problems of modern transplantology at once – recreated the functionality of the tissue and eliminated the risks of rejection of a new organ.
Article by Caires-Júnior et al. Pre-coating decellularized liver with HepG2-conditioned medium improves hepatic recellularization published in the journal Materials Science and Engineering: C – VM.
The first results of scientists from The University of Sao Paulo demonstrated on rat liver models, writes EurekAlert. Their approach is based on two methods of tissue bioengineering developed in recent years to create new organs for transplantation.
The essence of the method is to treat the organ of a deceased donor with special solutions to remove all cells. When only the extracellular matrix remains with the same structure and shape of the organ, it is populated with new cells – from the future recipient of the organ.
Decellularized liver matrix. Photo: HUG-CELL / USP – VM.
This approach allows us to solve two main problems of modern transplantology. First, scientists get the opportunity to use more organs that are currently considered unsuitable for transplantation. Secondly, it is equally important that the new method avoids undesirable reactions of the immune system and the risks of organ failure in the long term.
"The organ will not be rejected because it contains the patient's own cells. For the same reason, there is no need to use immunosuppressants," explained the author of the work, Mayana Zats.
When scientists began testing the new approach on rat liver models, they additionally enriched the extracellular matrix with SPARC and TGFB1 proteins, which are involved in the process of cell proliferation and the formation of new blood vessels, between the first and second stages. This solved the problem of insufficient cell adhesion after "stripping", as well as the need for the formation of new vessels for normal organ function.
"Enriching the extracellular matrix with these molecules makes the organ more like a healthy liver," the authors explained.
As a result, they grew a new functional organ in an incubator that simulates the conditions of the body for five weeks.
The team is currently exploring the possibilities for using and growing human liver cells in this way. Meanwhile, the technology can be adapted to produce other organs, including the lungs, heart and skin.
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