Award details

Generation of xenogenic porcine scaffolds for tissue engineering and regeneration

Reference	BB/C510767/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor E Ingham
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor John Fisher
Institution	University of Leeds
Department	Inst of Molecular & Cellular Biology
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	55,639
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/08/2004
End date	01/07/2006
Duration	23 months

Abstract

We have developed a method for removing all of the living cells from porcine tissues such as heart valves, tendons, pericardium and bladder. Since these tissue 'scaffolds' have no living cells within them, they should not stimulate a rejection response when implanted into human recipients. These scaffolds have the potential to be exploited commercially for use in tissue engineering applications. The tissues could be implanted directly into patients, to act as scaffolds for the patients own cells to regenerate diseased or damaged tissues or they may be re-seeded with the patient's own cells in the laboratory to produce functional living tissues prior to implantation. In order to commercialise our technology, we must first demonstrate that they will not induce the rejection response seen with porcine tissues containing living cells. When living pig tissues are transplanted to humans the tissues are rejected because the cells within the tissue have a molecule on the surface called alpha-gal. Humans have antibodies to this molecule that causes the rejection response. We aim to test our tissue scaffolds for the presence of this molecule and if it is present to any extent develop methods to remove it. We will then test the scaffolds in mice that have been purposefully induced to have antibodies to alpha-gal. This will show whether the methods have been successful.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Engineering & Biological Systems (EBS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Follow-On Fund (FOF) [2004-2015]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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