Decellularised Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds for Hollow Organ Tissue Engineering
Tracheal and bronchial defects may occur after patients encounter trauma, surgical resection of tumours or prolonged intubation. These defects present a major challenge for clinical substitution. Recently a number of different techniques employing foreign materials, nonviable tissues, autologous tissues, tissue engineering and tracheal transplantation have attempted to solve this problem with varying and often limited success.
However, the decellularisation of tissues and organs has shown significant promise as a successful platform technology for creating scaffold materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Recent research indicates that the success of these materials upon implantation is due to the molecular signals provided by the remaining scaffold extracellular matrix (ECM) components presented to probing recruited cells in vivo as they repopulate the surface. Thus far most decellularised tissues have been derived from animals or cadavers. Therefore, despite the many potential advantages of decellularised tissue, concerns about the potential for immunogenicity and the possible presence and transfer of infectious agents remain.
This project will investigate the potential application of biomaterial scaffolds created from ECM derived from animal tissue (porcine bladder & ovine aorta) for respiratory system tissue engineering. The ECM will be derived using an established decellularisation criteria consisting of successive physical, chemical and enzymatic treatments of animal tissues. The structural integrity and chemical composition of the resulting ECM will be quantified microscopically and biochemically. Major ECM components (acid/pepsin-soluble collagen, sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and soluble elastin) will be quantified, before a comprehensive in vitro biological investigation will be performed using the co-culture of endothelial and respiratory epithelial cells.
Overall this research will facilitate the development and potential application of decellularised ECM tissue containing biological and chemical cues as an ideal scaffold material for hollow organ tissue engineering.
Tracheal and bronchial defects may occur after patients encounter trauma, surgical resection of tumours or prolonged intubation. These defects present a major challenge for clinical substitution. Recently a number of different techniques employing foreign materials, nonviable tissues, autologous tissues, tissue engineering and tracheal transplantation have attempted to solve this problem with varying and often limited success.
However, the decellularisation of tissues and organs has shown significant promise as a successful platform technology for creating scaffold materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Recent research indicates that the success of these materials upon implantation is due to the molecular signals provided by the remaining scaffold extracellular matrix (ECM) components presented to probing recruited cells in vivo as they repopulate the surface. Thus far most decellularised tissues have been derived from animals or cadavers. Therefore, despite the many potential advantages of decellularised tissue, concerns about the potential for immunogenicity and the possible presence and transfer of infectious agents remain.
This project will investigate the potential application of biomaterial scaffolds created from ECM derived from animal tissue (porcine bladder & ovine aorta) for respiratory system tissue engineering. The ECM will be derived using an established decellularisation criteria consisting of successive physical, chemical and enzymatic treatments of animal tissues. The structural integrity and chemical composition of the resulting ECM will be quantified microscopically and biochemically. Major ECM components (acid/pepsin-soluble collagen, sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and soluble elastin) will be quantified, before a comprehensive in vitro biological investigation will be performed using the co-culture of endothelial and respiratory epithelial cells.
Overall this research will facilitate the development and potential application of decellularised ECM tissue containing biological and chemical cues as an ideal scaffold material for hollow organ tissue engineering.
Personnel Involved
First Supervisor: Burke, G Dr
Second Supervisor: Meenan, BJ Prof
Third Supervisor: Dixon, D Dr
Collaboration: This project does not involve collaboration with another establishment