*Purpose: The number of kidney transplants performed each year cannot meet the increasing demand of these organs. Several strategies aim to increasing the offer of immune compatible organs, such as xenotransplantation of genetically modified pig organs and the generation of bioartificial organs. Herein we described a new technique that allows us to generate a rat bioartificial kidney whose endothelial cells have been replaced with human endothelial cells in order to reduce the immunogenicity of allografts.

*Methods: Two different protocols were used in order to maintain parenchyma epithelial cells and remove selectively rat endothelial cells. In the first one, 2ml of a solution of 0.01% of SDS was perfused via renal artery at 4°C. For the second protocol, the rat kidney was perfused with increasing osmolarity solutions of saccharose and EDTA at room temperature for 15 minutes. The effectiveness of partial decellularization was calculated by comparing those endothelial cell decellularized kidneys with a kidney that has been decellularized with collagenase (positive control). Albumin conjugated to Evans blue dye was perfused through the artery in order to evaluate vascular permeability.

*Results: Both endothelial cell decellularization protocols achieved a similar vascular permeability while the second group maintained a better epithelial cell viability assessed with TUNEL assay (40 % vs 65 %). Afterwards, partially decellularized kidneys were recellularized (2 hours at 37°C) with 7×10⁶ human endothelial cells transfected with GFP protein. Histological analysis showed HMEC-GFP attached in almost all the vascular bed. Finally, recellularized kidneys were transplanted in an anesthetized rat. After surgery, complete organ perfusion was achieved and also urine production for at least 30 min pos-transplant.

*Conclusions: These results suggest that endothelial decellularization and recellularization with human cells can be feasible methods in order to generate a more immune compatible bioartificial organs.

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