Bioengineering Organs for Blood Detoxification

Abstract

For patients with severe kidney or liver failure the best solution is currently organ transplantation. However, not all patients are eligible for transplantation and due to limited organ availability, most patients are currently treated with therapies using artificial kidney and artificial liver devices. These therapies, despite their relative success in preserving the patients' life, have important limitations since they can only replace part of the natural kidney or liver functions. As blood detoxification (and other functions) in these highly perfused organs is achieved by specialized cells, it seems relevant to review the approaches leading to bioengineered organs fulfilling most of the native organ functions. There, the culture of cells of specific phenotypes on adapted scaffolds that can be perfused takes place. In this review paper, first the functions of kidney and liver organs are briefly described. Then artificial kidney/liver devices, bioartificial kidney devices, and bioartificial liver devices are focused on, as well as biohybrid constructs obtained by decellularization and recellularization of animal organs. For all organs, a thorough overview of the literature is given and the perspectives for their application in the clinic are discussed.

Development of 3D Hepatic Constructs Within Polysaccharide-Based Scaffolds with Tunable Properties

“…Cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are accountable for about 3.5% of deaths worldwide with an increasing prevalence [1]. Currently, allografts are the gold standard to treat end-stage liver diseases but, due to the lack of donors, tissue engineering strategies represent a promising therapeutic route for liver diseases [2][3][4][5]. Moreover, with the aim to reduce drug toxicity testing on animal models, tissue engineering platforms can be used as an efficient tool to reproduce liver architecture.…”

“…This strategy represents a highly valuable tool in particular for disease modeling. As hepatocytes rapidly lose their phenotype and specific functions when cultured in 2D [8][9][10], this approach has been largely investigated to improve in vitro models for drug-toxicity and liver diseases [11] or for tissue engineering applications including extracorporeal [11][12][13][14] or implantable devices to sustain liver functions during acute phases of diseases [5,15].…”

Paracrine Proangiogenic Function of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Is Not Affected by Chronic Kidney Disease

“…Indeed, BM MSC-based regenerative medicine approaches are being developed to treat CKD, aiming to halt progression of fibrosis by vascular regeneration, stimulate kidney regeneration, or enhance immunomodulation after renal transplantation. These therapies include administration of cells or products secreted by cells [9][10][11]. BM MSCs are an effective treatment for CKD in a range of preclinical animal models [12].…”

A simple method for the isolation and detailed characterization of primary human proximal tubule cells for renal replacement therapy

“…59 PT cells are specialized in the excretion of xenobiotics and endogenous waste products from metabolism 16,17 and importantly, these types of cells promote the excretion of protein-bound uremic toxins that constitute excretion products not eliminated by standard dialysis treatment. 60,61 In this context, the methods described herein to isolate, biobank, and characterize hPTC are an appealing alternative to provide a source of cells for this type of technologies.…”