What is organ decellularization?
Decellularization (also spelled decellularisation in British English) is the process used in biomedical engineering to isolate the extracellular matrix (ECM) of a tissue from its inhabiting cells, leaving an ECM scaffold of the original tissue, which can be used in artificial organ and tissue regeneration.
Can liver tissue regenerate?
The liver has a unique capacity among organs to regenerate itself after damage. A liver can regrow to a normal size even after up to 90% of it has been removed. But the liver isn’t invincible. Many diseases and exposures can harm it beyond the point of repair.
How long does it take for the liver to repair itself?
The liver, however, is able to replace damaged tissue with new cells. If up to 50 to 60 percent of the liver cells may be killed within three to four days in an extreme case like a Tylenol overdose, the liver will repair completely after 30 days if no complications arise.
What is liver tissue called?
Liver cells, or hepatocytes, have direct access to the liver’s blood supply through small capillaries called sinusoids. Hepatocytes carry out many metabolic functions, including the production of bile.
What are the 4 functions of the liver?
Functions of the liver include: Filtration. Digestion. Metabolism and Detoxification. Protein synthesis.
Is it possible to decellularize liver tissue?
Several studies have reported the decellularization of liver tissue obtained from animals 14, 15, 16, 17. The resulting 3-dimensional ECM scaffolds have been shown to provide an excellent environment for the in vitro growth of multiple liver cell types retaining excellent functionality 18, 19.
What is the goal of decellularization?
The ultimate goal of decellularization is to provide a nonimmunogenic scaffold that can be repopulated with cells extracted from a patient to ultimately create a new organ with minimal probability of being rejected [66]. Francesca Boccafoschi, Francesco Casella, in Encyclopedia of Biomedical Engineering, 2019
What is the role of LSECs in decellularized livers?
Instillation of LSECs in rat decellularized livers forms an endothelial layer that reduces platelet deposition and improves the function of the co-implanted hepatocytes (Kojima et al., 2018). The vasculature in the liver has a hierarchy, which involves the hepatic sinusoids to the larger vessels.
What is the best protocol for liver decellularization?
Currently, the most frequently used protocol for liver decellularization is a freeze-thaw cycle followed by a combination of detergents, enzymes, and chelating agents (details presented in Table 1). TABLE 1 Common methods and combinations used in liver decellularization. Common methods Advantages Disadvantages Freeze-thaw