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Israeli researchers report that they invented the first fully formed tissue implant, engineered from a patient's own materials and cells. The new technology makes it possible to engineer any kind of tissue implant, for the spinal cord, to the heart, or brain, from one small fatty tissue biopsy.
"We were able to create a personalized hydrogel from the biopsy materials, to differentiate fatty tissue cells and to engineer cardiac, spinal cord, cortical and other tissue implants to treat different diseases," said lead researcher Prof. Dr. Tal Dvir of Tel Aviv University Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and Sagol Center for Regenerative Biotechnology.
"Since both the cells and the material used in the patient, the implant does not provoke an immune response, the proper regeneration of the defected organ," Dvir explained.
The research was conducted by Dvir's postdoctoral researcher, Reuven Edri, and doctoral students Nadav Noor and Idan Gal, in collaboration with Prof. Dan Peer and Prof. Irit Gat Viks of TAU's Department of Cell Research and Immunology and Prof. Lior Heller of Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center in Israel. It was recently published in the journal Advanced Materials.
Avoiding anti-rejection drugs
Currently, in tissue engineering for regenerative medicine, cells are isolated from the patient and cultured in biomaterials to assemble into a functional tissue. These biomaterials can be synthetic or natural, derived from plants or animals.
After transplantation, they may induce an immune response that leads to rejection of the implanted tissue. Patients receiving engineered tissues or any other implants are treated with immuno-suppressors, which unfortunately can endanger the health of the patient.
The new method solves that problem.
"With our technology, we can engineer any tissue type, and after transplantation we can easily regenerate any diseased or injured organ – a heart after a heart attack, a brain after trauma or with Parkinson's disease, a spinal cord after injury," said Dvir .
"In addition, we can engineer adipogenic [fatty tissue] implants for reconstructive surgeries or cosmetics. These implants will not be rejected by the body. "
The researchers extracted a small biopsy of fatty tissue from patients, then separated their cellular and a-cellular materials. While the cells have been reprogrammed to become induced pluripotent stem cells, they can be produced as they are.
After combining the resulting stem cells and the hydrogel, the scientists successfully engineered the patients and tested the immune response.
The researchers are newly diagnosed with an injured spinal cord and an infarcted heart with spinal cord and cardiac implants. Parkinson's disease in animal models.
The researchers plan to regenerate other organs, including intestines and eyes, using the patients' own materials and cells.
"We believe that the technology of fully engrafted tissue can be reduced to a minimal risk of immune response," Dvir said.
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