Amyloid persistence in decellularized liver: biochemical and histopathological characterization.

Systemic amyloidoses are a group of debilitating and often fatal diseases in which fibrillar protein aggregates are deposited in the extracellular spaces of a range of tissues. The molecular basis of amyloid formation and tissue localization is still unclear. Although it is likely that the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in amyloid deposition, this interaction is largely unexplored, mostly because current analytical approaches may alter the delicate and complicated three-dimensional architecture of both ECM and amyloid.

Stem cells from amniotic fluid--Potential for regenerative medicine.

Regenerative medicine has recently been established as an emerging field focussing on repair, replacement or regeneration of cells, tissues and whole organs. The significant recent advances in the field have intensified the search for novel sources of stem cells with potential for therapy. Recently, researchers have identified the amniotic fluid as an untapped source of stem cells that are multipotent, possess immunomodulatory properties and do not have the ethical and legal limitations of embryonic stem cells.

Endothelial properties of third-trimester amniotic fluid stem cells cultured in hypoxia.

Introduction: Endothelial dysfunction is found in different pathologies such as diabetes and renal and heart diseases, representing one of the major health problems. The reduced vasodilation of impaired endothelium starts a prothrombotic state associated with irregular blood flow. We aimed to explore the potential of amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells as a source for regenerative medicine in this field; for the first time, we focused on third-trimester amniotic fluid AFS cells and compared them with the already-described AFS cells from the second trimester.

Improvement of diaphragmatic performance through orthotopic application of decellularized extracellular matrix patch.

Muscle tissue engineering can provide support to large congenital skeletal muscle defects using scaffolds able to allow cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. Acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold can generate a positive inflammatory response through the activation of anti-inflammatory T-cell populations and M2 polarized macrophages that together lead to a local pro-regenerative environment. This immunoregulatory effect is maintained when acellular matrices are transplanted in a xenogeneic setting, but it remains unclear whether it can be therapeutic in a model of muscle diseases.

Decellularized human liver as a natural 3D-scaffold for liver bioengineering and transplantation.

Liver synthetic and metabolic function can only be optimised by the growth of cells within a supportive liver matrix. This can be achieved by the utilisation of decellularised human liver tissue. Here we demonstrate complete decellularization of whole human liver and lobes to form an extracellular matrix scaffold with a preserved architecture.

Pancreatic tumours in children: diagnosis, treatment and outcome.

Purpose: Pancreatic tumours in children are exceedingly rare and as a result constitute a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to paediatric surgeons. We reviewed our experience with these rare entities.

Methods: Retrospective single institution study on all paediatric pancreatic tumours over a period of 38 years (1973-2011) and literature review.

Esophageal Atresia: Improved Outcome in High-Risk Groups Revisited.

Objectives Improved survival in infants with esophageal atresia (EA) with a birth weight < 1,500 g or a major cardiac anomaly has been reported when compared with the original Spitz classification proposed in 1994. Aim We reviewed outcome data for infants born over the last decade in our institution to update previously reported survival statistics. Materials and Methods The records of all neonates (n = 200) with a diagnosis of EA managed in a single institution between 2001 and 2011 were reviewed and compared with data from the original Spitz study and the subsequent reported cohort from the same institution.

Tissue-Engineered Tracheal Replacement in a Child: A 4-Year Follow-Up Study.

In 2010, a tissue-engineered trachea was transplanted into a 10-year-old child using a decellularized deceased donor trachea repopulated with the recipient's respiratory epithelium and mesenchymal stromal cells. We report the child's clinical progress, tracheal epithelialization and costs over the 4 years. A chronology of events was derived from clinical notes and costs determined using reference costs per procedure.

The use of human amniotic fluid stem cells as an adjunct to promote pulmonary development in a rabbit model for congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the potential benefit of intra-tracheal injection of human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSC) on pulmonary development combined with TO in a rabbit model for CDH.

Methods: In time-mated pregnant does a left diaphragmatic defect was created at d23 (term = 31). At d28, previously operated fetuses were assigned to either TO and injection with 70 μL of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or 1.

Engineering muscle tissue for the fetus: getting ready for a strong life.

Congenital malformations frequently involve either skeletal, smooth or cardiac tissues. When large parts of those tissues are damaged, the repair of the malformations is challenged by the fact that so much autologous tissue is missing. Current treatments require the use of prostheses or other therapies and are associated with a significant morbidity and mortality.

Corrigendum: In utero therapy for congenital disorders using amniotic fluid stem cells.

[This corrects the article on p. 270 in vol. 5, PMID: 25566071.

A potential platform for developing 3D tubular scaffolds for paediatric organ development.

Children suffer from damaged or loss of hollow organs i.e. trachea, oesophagus or arteries from birth defects or diseases.

In utero therapy for congenital disorders using amniotic fluid stem cells.

Congenital diseases are responsible for over a third of all pediatric hospital admissions. Advances in prenatal screening and molecular diagnosis have allowed the detection of many life-threatening genetic diseases early in gestation. In utero transplantation (IUT) with stem cells could cure affected fetuses but so far in humans, successful IUT using allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), has been limited to fetuses with severe immunologic defects and more recently IUT with allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, has improved phenotype in osteogenesis imperfecta.

Enrichment in c-Kit improved differentiation potential of amniotic membrane progenitor/stem cells.

Introduction: Human term placenta has attracted increasing attention as an alternative source of stem cells for regenerative medicine since it is accessible without ethical objections. The amniotic membrane (AM) contains at least two stem cell types from different embryological origins: ectodermal amniotic epithelial stem cells, and mesodermal mesenchymal stromal cells. Among the second group we studied the characteristics of amniotic mesenchymal cells (AMC) versus the ones enriched for the commonly used surface marker c-Kit (amniotic progenitor/stem cells-ASC), a stem cell factor receptor with crucial functions in a variety of biological systems and presents in early progenitors of different origin, as been already demonstrated in the enriched chorionic stem cells.

Organ bioengineering for the newborn.

Regenerative medicine has recently been established as an emerging interdisciplinary field focused on the repair; replacement or regeneration of cells, tissues and organs. It involves various disciplines, which are focused on different aspects of the regeneration process such as cell biology, gene therapy, bioengineering, material science and pharmacology. In this article, we will outline progress on tissue engineering of specific tissues and organs relevant to paediatric surgery.

Operating RegenMed: development of better in-theater strategies for handling tissue-engineered organs and tissues.

Tissue engineering ex vivo and direct cellular application with bioscaffolds in vivo has allowed surgeons to restore and establish function throughout the human body. The evidence for regenerative surgery is growing, and consequently there is a need for the development of more advanced regenerative surgery facilities. Regenerative medicine in the surgical field is changing rapidly and this must be reflected in the design of any future operating suite.

Tissue engineering vascular grafts a fortiori: looking back and going forward.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease often necessitate the surgical repair using conduits. Although autografts still remain the gold standard, the inconvenience of harvesting and/or insufficient availability in patients with atherosclerotic disease has given impetus to look into alternative sources for vascular grafts.

Areas Covered: There are four main techniques to produce tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs): i) biodegradable synthetic scaffolds; ii) gel-based scaffolds; iii) decellularised scaffolds and iv) self-assembled cell-sheet-based techniques.

Isolation of esophageal stem cells with potential for therapy.

Purpose: Long-gap esophageal atresia represents a significant challenge for pediatric surgeons and current surgical approaches are associated with significant morbidity. A tissue-engineered esophagus, comprising cells seeded onto a scaffold, represents a therapeutic alternative. In this study, we aimed to determine the optimal techniques for isolation and culture of mouse esophageal epithelial cells and to isolate CD34-positive esophageal epithelial stem cells from cadaveric mouse specimens.

In amnio MRI of mouse embryos.

Mouse embryo imaging is conventionally carried out on ex vivo embryos excised from the amniotic sac, omitting vital structures and abnormalities external to the body. Here, we present an in amnio MR imaging methodology in which the mouse embryo is retained in the amniotic sac and demonstrate how important embryonic structures can be visualised in 3D with high spatial resolution (100 µm/px). To illustrate the utility of in amnio imaging, we subsequently apply the technique to examine abnormal mouse embryos with abdominal wall defects.

Effect of sodium deficiency on growth of surgical infants: a retrospective observational study.

Background/aim: Sodium is thought to be critical to growth. Infants who have an ileostomy may suffer from growth faltering, as sodium losses from stomas may be excessive. Urinary sodium measurements may indicate which patients could benefit from sodium supplementation; however, there is no consensus on what level of urinary sodium should be the cutoff for intervention.

Comparison of minimally invasive and open gastric transposition in children.

Background: Gastric transposition is an established method of esophageal replacement in children, and the use of minimally invasive techniques avoids the trauma of open access. The objective of this study was to compare outcomes of minimally invasive versus open gastric transposition in children.

Materials And Methods: All cases of attempted laparoscopic-assisted gastric transposition at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), London, United Kingdom, between 2003 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed.

Fetal stem cells and skeletal muscle regeneration: a therapeutic approach.

More than 40% of the body mass is represented by muscle tissue, which possesses the innate ability to regenerate after damage through the activation of muscle-specific stem cells, namely satellite cells. Muscle diseases, in particular chronic degenerative states of skeletal muscle such as dystrophies, lead to a perturbation of the regenerative process, which causes the premature exhaustion of satellite cell reservoir due to continuous cycles of degeneration/regeneration. Nowadays, the research is focused on different therapeutic approaches, ranging from gene and cell to pharmacological therapy, but still there is no definitive cure in particular for genetic muscle disease.

Currarino's syndrome in twins presenting as neonatal intestinal obstruction--identical presentation in non-identical twins.

We report a case of non-identical twins who presented with identical neonatal intestinal obstruction with features of anorectal stenosis, presacral mass and sacral anomaly consistent with Currarino's syndrome or triad. Plain sacral radiograph, contrast enema and MRI were diagnostic. Initial management involved a defunctioning colostomy followed by a posterior sagittal anorectoplasty with excision of the teratoma ± anterior sacral meningocele and finally closure of colostomy in a staged multidisciplinary approach.

Sheep CD34+ amniotic fluid cells have hematopoietic potential and engraft after autologous in utero transplantation.

Unmatched allogeneic in utero stem cell transplantation (IUSCT) produces poor engraftment unless the fetus has congenital immunodeficiency, probably because of maternal and fetal immune responses to injected cells. We studied the functional hematopoietic potential of transduced green fluorescent protein (GFP+) sheep amniotic fluid (AF) stem cells, before and after autologous IUSCT. CD34+ cells were selected from first trimester sheep AF, transduced overnight, and injected intravenously into NOD-SCID-gamma (NSG) mice.