Liver tissue engineering using decellularized scaffolds: Current progress, challenges, and opportunities.

Liver transplantation represents the only definitive treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. However, the shortage of liver donors provokes a dramatic gap between available grafts and patients on the waiting list. Whole liver bioengineering, an emerging field of tissue engineering, holds great potential to overcome this gap.

Effect of Topical Cyclopentolate 1% on Ocular Ultrasonographic Features, Intraocular Pressure, Tear Production, and Pupil Size in Normal Donkeys (Equus Asinus).

This study was performed to investigate the effects of cyclopentolate on ultrasonographic parameters of eye structures, intraocular pressure (IOP), tear production, and pupil size in normal donkeys. Sixteen eyes of eight clinically healthy adult donkeys (2-2.5 years old) weighing 295 ± 34 kg (mean ± standard deviation) were used in this study.

Development and Characterization of Cellulose/Iron Acetate Nanofibers for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications.

In tissue engineering, design of biomaterial with a micro/nano structure is an essential step to mimic extracellular matrix (ECM) and to enhance biomineralization as well as cell biocompatibility. Composite polymeric nanofiber with iron particles/ions has an important role in biomineralization and collagen synthesis for bone tissue engineering. Herein, we report development of polymeric cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers (17 wt.

Custom-made artificial eyes using 3D printing for dogs: A preliminary study.

Various incurable eye diseases in companion animals often result in phthisis bulbi and eye removal surgery. Currently, the evisceration method using silicone balls is useful in animals; however, it is not available to those with impaired cornea or severe ocular atrophy. Moreover, ocular implant and prostheses are not widely used because of the diversity in animal size and eye shape, and high manufacturing cost.

Decellularized hepatic extracellular matrix hydrogel attenuates hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis.

Liver fibrosis results from excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that distort the hepatic architecture. Progression of liver fibrosis results in cirrhosis and liver failure, and often, liver transplantation is required. The decellularized liver tissue contains different components that mimic the natural hepatic environment.

Congenital urethral dilatation in cattle calves: Diagnosis and surgical intervention.

Background And Aim: Congenital anomalies of the urinary system are common affections in ruminants. Dilatation of the pelvic urethra is one of these affections in which the pelvic urethra dilated than normal diameter. This study aimed to explain the diagnosis and surgical treatment of urethral dilatation in cattle calves.

Incorporation of nanoparticles into transplantable decellularized matrices: Applications and challenges.

Decellularization of tissues can significantly improve regenerative medicine and tissue engineering by producing natural, less immunogenic, three-dimensional, acellular matrices with high biological activity for transplantation. Decellularized matrices retain specific critical components of native tissues such as stem cell niche, various growth factors, and the ability to regenerate in vivo. However, recellularization and functionalization of these matrices remain limited, highlighting the need to improve the characteristics of decellularized matrices.

New insights into the pros and cons of cross-linking decellularized bioartificial organs.

Decellularization is an attractive method for scaffold designing in regenerative medicine. The resulting extracellular matrix (ECM) consists of structural proteins such as collagen and elastin, growth factors, and glycosaminoglycans, which can direct site-appropriate remodeling after in vivo implantation. Mainly, collagen and elastin of ECM are exposed to the enzymatic biodegradation in the host.

Biocompatibility evaluation of tissue-engineered decellularized scaffolds for biomedical application.

Biomaterials based on seeding of cells on decellularized scaffolds have gained increasing interest in the last few years and suggested to serve as an alternative approach to bioengineer artificial organs and tissues for transplantation. The reaction of the host toward the decellularized scaffold and transplanted cells depends on the biocompatibility of the construct. Before proceeding to the clinical application step of decellularized scaffolds, it is greatly important to apply a number of biocompatibility tests in vitro and in vivo.

Heparin-gelatin mixture improves vascular reconstruction efficiency and hepatic function in bioengineered livers.

Unlabelled: Whole organ decellularization is a cell removal process that creates a natural extracellular matrix for use in transplantation. A lack of an intact endothelial layer in the vascular network of decellularized organs results in blood clotting even with anti-coagulation treatment. Furthermore, shear stress caused by blood flow may affect reseeded parenchymal cells.

Decellularized Liver Extracellular Matrix as Promising Tools for Transplantable Bioengineered Liver Promotes Hepatic Lineage Commitments of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Liver transplantation is the last resort for liver failure patients. However, due to the shortage of donor organs, bioengineered liver generated from decellularized whole liver scaffolds and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived hepatocytes (iPSC-Heps) is being studied as an alternative approach to treat liver disease. Nevertheless, there has been no report on both the interaction of iPSC-Heps with a liver extracellular matrix (ECM) and the analysis of recellularized iPSC-Heps into the whole liver scaffolds.

Surgical management of vesicoureteral reflux with recurrent urinary tract infection after renal transplantation in a dog.

CASE DESCRIPTION A 3-year-old male Cocker Spaniel renal transplant recipient was readmitted 39 weeks after transplantation because of acute clinical signs of pollakiuria, intermittent vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, and mild fever. CLINICAL FINDINGS Hydronephrosis and hydroureter were observed with ultrasonography and contrast cystography, and a diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) was made. Urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by Escherichia coli was also diagnosed on the basis of results of urine culture.

Generation of liver-specific TGF-α/c-Myc-overexpressing porcine induced pluripotent stem-like cells and blastocyst formation using nuclear transfer.

Transgenic porcine induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are attractive cell sources for the development of genetically engineered pig models, because they can be expanded without senescence and have the potential for multiple gene manipulation. They are also useful cell sources for disease modeling and treatment. However, the generation of transgenic porcine iPS cells is rare, and their embryonic development after nuclear transfer (NT) has not yet been reported.

Fabrication of novel high performance ductile poly(lactic acid) nanofiber scaffold coated with poly(vinyl alcohol) for tissue engineering applications.

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanofiber scaffold has received increasing interest as a promising material for potential application in the field of regenerative medicine. However, the low hydrophilicity and poor ductility restrict its practical application. Integration of hydrophilic elastic polymer onto the surface of the nanofiber scaffold may help to overcome the drawbacks of PLA material.

A novel mouse model of diabetes mellitus using unilateral nephrectomy.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and its complications are prominent public health issues. Many experimental models of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced and high-fat diet (HF)-induced DM have been used to study this disease. Studies have indicated that unilateral nephrectomy (UN) accelerates the development of diabetic nephropathy.

Construction of a biocompatible decellularized porcine hepatic lobe for liver bioengineering.

Objective: One of the major obstacles in applying decellularized organs for clinical use is the recellularization step, during which huge numbers of cells are required to develop whole livers. We established a simple protocol for constructing a bioartificial hepatic lobe and investigated its biocompatibility.

Methods: The right lateral lobe of porcine liver was decellularized using 0.

Three dimensional culture of HepG2 liver cells on a rat decellularized liver matrix for pharmacological studies.

Three-dimensional in vitro tumor models are needed to obtain more information about drug behavior in tumors. The aim of this study is to establish a new model for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using decellularized rat livers. After generating the rat liver scaffolds, HepG2 liver cancer cells were perfused via the portal vein and placed in a bioreactor for 10 days.

Kidney injury molecule-1 is involved in the chemotactic migration of mesenchymal stem cells.

A better understanding of the organ specific factors that regulate the migration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the target organ is essential for optimization of strategies to improve the repair after injury. In the present study, we showed that the kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), a well-known kidney-specific biomarker, enhanced the in vitro migration capacity of MSCs as a potent kidney-specific chemo-attractant or an inducer. The in vitro roles were verified by migration assay using KIM1-PK1 cell lines, the mouse proximal tubular epithelial cells (mPTEs) and recombinant human KIM-1 proteins (rhKIM-1).

Sterilization using electrolyzed water highly retains the biological properties in tissue-engineered porcine liver scaffold.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of sterilization with peracetic acid (PAA) and ethanol on the biological activity of porcine liver scaffolds and to develop a new technique for sterilization using slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW).

Methods: Decellularization of liver slices was performed using 0.1% sodium-dodecyl-sulfate, then evaluated by histological and polymerase chain reaction analyses.