Long-term regeneration and remodeling of the pig esophagus after circumferential resection using a retrievable synthetic scaffold carrying autologous cells.

Treatment of esophageal disease can necessitate resection and reconstruction of the esophagus. Current reconstruction approaches are limited to utilization of an autologous conduit such as stomach, small bowel, or colon. A tissue engineered construct providing an alternative for esophageal replacement in circumferential, full thickness resection would have significant clinical applications.

A novel monoclonal antibody inhibits the immune response of human cells against porcine cells: identification of a porcine antigen homologous to CD58.

Background: Human CD58 is an adhesion molecule that interacts with CD2 on lymphocytes. We describe here an antibody that blocks responses of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to porcine cells and reacts with a porcine protein with homology to CD58.

Methods: Antibodies were isolated with a screen for inhibition of the human antiporcine response.

Autologous skeletal myoblasts transplanted to ischemia-damaged myocardium in humans. Histological analysis of cell survival and differentiation.

Objectives: We report histological analysis of hearts from patients with end-stage heart disease who were transplanted with autologous skeletal myoblasts concurrent with left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.

Background: Autologous skeletal myoblast transplantation is under investigation as a means to repair infarcted myocardium. To date, there is only indirect evidence to suggest survival of skeletal muscle in humans.

Modulation of the in vivo primate anti-Gal response through administration of anti-idiotypic antibodies.

Polyclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies (AIA) were generated against human Gal alpha 1,3Gal antibodies (anti-Gal) isolated from a single donor. Specificity of the AIA was demonstrated by selective binding to anti-Gal antibodies (Ab) and absence of reactivity to non-Gal Ab. The idiotopes identified by AIA were present on anti-Gal Ab from all of the human samples evaluated (n=59) as well as on pooled samples, demonstrating that a restricted number of dominant idiotopes characterized the human anti-Gal Ab response.

Cell therapy attenuates deleterious ventricular remodeling and improves cardiac performance after myocardial infarction.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) promotes deleterious remodeling of the myocardium, resulting in ventricular dilation and pump dysfunction. We examined whether supplementing infarcted myocardium with skeletal myoblasts would (1) result in viable myoblast implants, (2) attenuate deleterious remodeling, and (3) enhance in vivo and ex vivo contractile performance.

Methods And Results: Experimental MI was induced by 1-hour coronary ligation followed by reperfusion in adult male Lewis rats.