Tissue Engineering

Animals have been used as models for tissue engineering in the repair of organs for humans. It is intuitive then to also apply tissue engineering techniques for animal regenerative medicine.

Autologous cancellous bone has been used with purified and concentrated equine MSCs in animals with substantial bone loss. Extracellular matrix derived from porcine urinary bladder has been demonstrated to support the esophageal reconstruction in dogs using autologous muscle tissue.

MSCs can be used with biomaterials in the restoration of tissue structure and function. In a study at the University of Oklahoma, bone marrow MSCs were seeded in a biological scaffold (small intestinal submucosa) augmented in the bladder of dogs. BMSC-seeded scaffold promoted bladder regeneration in all the dogs used in the study. In another study at Shanghai Stem Cell Institute, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were seeded in coral scaffolds. The ASC-seeded scaffolds were transplanted in cranial bones, data showing bone formation along the cranial bone defect indicating successful repair after 24 weeks.

References:

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