BIOCOMPATIBILITY SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF DECELLULARIZED PORCINE KIDNEY SCAFFOLDS FOR XENOTRANSPLANTATION

Kidney transplantation remains the therapy of choice for patients with end stage kidney disease. This disparity has fomented the search for therapeutic alternatives using regenerative medicine approaches. One approach combines cells with a-cellular kidney scaffolds derived from animal tissue especially pigs. The reaction of the host toward these porcine scaffolds depends on the bio-compatibility of the construct. The aim of this study was to prepare decellularized kidneys of a clinically relevant size and evaluate its bio-compatibility in terms of immunogenicity, pathogenicity, cytotoxicity, and biodegradability. Decellularized kidney samples were histologically analyzed. Hematoxylin and eosin and DAPI staining confirmed cellular clearance from pig kidneys, with removal of nuclei and cytoskeletal components. The SDS treated decellularized scaffolds were non-cytotoxic to pig kidney cells. Decellularized scaffolds were susceptible to enzymatic degradation upon treatment by collagenase. Thus, we have developed a rapid decellularization technique for generating safe bio-compatible kidney scaffolds that represents a step toward development of a transplantable organ using tissue engineering techniques.