Factors Affecting Tissue Culture and Transplantation Using Omentum

In tissue engineering, a stable tissue layer and blood vessels are required for complete tissue formation, to provide structural strength and thickness and to supply oxygen and various nutrients. However, this has not been achieved using in vitro tissue-engineered culture techniques, thus many tissue engineering studies of trachea, bladder, and intestine reconstruction have used omentum. However, many factors critical to cell culture and transplantation using omentum have not yet been studied. For these reasons, we conducted a study of artificial trachea reconstruction in dogs using a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) porous scaffold, polypropylene prosthesis, and PKH26-labeled cells. We analyzed factors affecting tissue-engineered reconstruction using omentum, such as cell distribution and formation of cell layer and stability of transplant shape on omentum. As a result, we classified failure factors for tissue-engineered application of omentum and suggested three considerations for effective use of omentum in tissue engineering. Our observations may aid in the design and execution of future studies of omentum usage in tissue engineering.