J Korean Soc Transplant.  2003 Jun;17(1):15-19.

Implantation of Renal Segments on Biodegradable Polymer Scaffolds

• Kim SS
• Park HJ
• Han J
• Choi CY
• Kim BS

Abstract

PURPOSE
Dialysis and renal transplantation, the current therapies for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), have limitations including severe complications, donor organ shortage, and allograft failure. The present study investigated the possibility of using a tissue engineering technique for renal reconstruction as a new method to replace the current suboptimal treatments for ESRD. We reconstituted renal units in vivo by transplanting isolated renal segments on three-dimensional, biodegradable polymer scaffolds.
METHODS
Renal segments were freshly isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat kidneys and seeded onto porous mesh matrices fabricated from polyglycolic acid, a biodegradable synthetic polymer. The renal segment-seeded scaffolds were implanted into subcutaneous spaces of athymic mice for two and four weeks. Retrieved specimens were examined by histological analyses.
RESULTS
The tubular structures with hollow centers and vascular tufts of glomerulus-like structures were identified by histological analyses of the 2 and 4 week specimens. In contrast, no renal-like structures were observed from unseeded polymer implants (negative controls).
CONCLUSION
These results suggest a possibility of reconstituting the renal structures by transplanting renal segments on polymer scaffolds and could be applid for partial or full replacement of kidney function in the treatment of ESRD.

Keyword

Biodegradable polymer scaffold; Renal segment transplantation

MeSH Terms

Allografts
Animals
Dialysis
Humans
Kidney
Kidney Failure, Chronic
Kidney Transplantation
Mice
Mice, Nude
Polyglycolic Acid
Polymers*
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Tissue Donors
Tissue Engineering
Polyglycolic Acid
Polymers