Tissue Engineering Essay

The current process of tissue engineering:

Since organs are on short supply throughout the world scientists have taken to trying to create organs in the lab. The field of organ growing is possible thanks to recent advances in stem-cell research and is commonly known as ‘tissue engineering’. Tissue engineering uses the patient’s own cells to build new organs or replace damaged tissues in the patient’s own organs, which is called grafting.3The process works by differentiating pluri-potent stem-cells into the cells that the patient needs. The cells are then allowed to grow and multiply in a nutrient solution. When the cells are in adequate numbers they are sometimes inserted into the patients existing tissue but are most commonly used to grow a new organ or tissue graft.

Organs are however very complicated structures that consist of many components and therefore they are very difficult to replicate. An organ consists of a series of different cells, an extracellular matrix and an intricate web of blood vessels that supplies nutrients and oxygen to the cells. Recreating all of these is a great challenge for scientists.

Creating cells:

To produce the large amount of different cells that are needed for tissue engineering stem cells are used (picture). Stem-cells are undifferentiated cells or ‘base cells’ that have the ability to transform into other forms of cells trough differentiation, such as blood, muscle or fat cells. They are present at conception and some remain in our bodies for our whole lifetime. Their purpose in the body of adults is to repair and produce tissues.9 There are several types of stem cells and they all have different tasks to perform in the body.4 Stem cells are labeled with a series of different potencies aft...

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... from a recently deceased donor and then removing all of the donor cells, leaving only the extracellular matrix. The process is called decellurization and it involves suspending the organ in a container filled with water. The suspended organ is then connected to a pump through a major blood vessel which slowly pumps a detergent through the vascular system of the organ which in turn dissolves all lipids, DNA, soluble proteins and sugars, leaving only the extracellular matrix.22 This method allows scientists to use donated organs that otherwise would have been unsuitable for transplantation as the cells do not need to be alive, making the supply near endless. Scientists are even considering using pig tissues as “Pig tissues are much safer than humans and there's an unlimited supply” says Stephen Badylak, tissue engineering researcher at the University of Pittsburgh.14