*Purpose: Whole organ perfusion decellularization has been proposed as a promising method for the generation of non-immunogenic organs from allogeneic or xenogeneic donors. However, the ability to recellularize organ scaffolds with multiple patient-specific cells in a spatially-controlled manner remains challenging. This study describes a modified decellularization technique in an attempt to address these limitations.

*Methods: Rat and porcine organs (including kidneys, liver, heart, limbs) were treated in order to selectively eliminate donor endothelial cells while keeping the remaining tissue intact and viable. We used in-situ, isolated cold perfusion decellularization, followed by normothermic perfusion recellularization. This model allows an easily obtainable, single-site central cannulation, useful for accessing any target organ. Stem cells isolated from human placentae were used to assess the ability to replace endothelial cells in rat kidneys.

*Results: Perfusion decellularization of organs under controlled flow conditions resulted in successful selective removal of endothelial cells (Fig. 1). Sub-endothelial tissues remained intact and viable. Placental stem cells were shown to readily engraft within de-endothelized glomeruli (Fig. 2). In-situ organ perfusion while keeping it in its native anatomical location yielded less peri-organ dissections and better control of perfusate leakage (Fig. 3).

*Conclusions: Our findings suggest that limited decellularization of donor endothelial cells followed by re-endothelization with non-immunogenic cells is feasible and may be used to generate fully functional, possibly tolerable organs for transplantation.

« Back to 2019 American Transplant Congress