KIDNEY TISSUE ENGINEERING BASED ON DECELLULARIZED MATRIX SCAFFOLDS

Aim: Chronic kidney disease progressively deteriorates kidney function. New therapies for severely damaged kidneys are needed due to limited regenerative capacity of the kidney and organ donor shortages. One possibility is to create new kidneys by tissue engineering with decellularization and recellularization processes. Methods: For decellularization, rat and porcine kidneys were perfused by sodium dodecyl sulfate. Integrity of scaffolds and ECM structure and composition was investigated by optical microscopy, micro-CT and immunofluorescence. Acellular scaffolds were then seeded with HUVEC and mES cells through the renal artery and ureter, respectively. Cell distribution was investigated by immunofluorescence and H&E stainings. Results: We obtained whole organ scaffolds with the intact 3D geometry by decellularization as shown by histological examination and SEM analysis. Micro-CT scan established integrity, patency and connection of the vascular network. The seeded cells infused through renal artery were uniformly distributed in the vascular network and in glomerular capillaries while cells infused through ureter reached the tubular compartments. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that rat and porcine kidneys can be successfully decellularized to produce intact renal ECM scaffolds able to support the engrafment of cells in glomerular and tubular structures. This study represents an initial step toward development of a transplantable organ.