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Is the tissue-engineered intestine clinically viable?

Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 5, pages 366–367 (2008)Cite this article

The clinical finding of malabsorption after massive resection of the small intestine is known as short-bowel syndrome. The remaining intestine undergoes compensatory hyperplasia, and for some patients this adaptation is adequate for sufficient nutrient absorption. For others, however, nutrients must be given parenterally to sustain life and to enable growth. Although parenteral nutrition provides adequate calories, patients on this therapy suffer from parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease and central venous catheter complications. The majority of patients who cannot be weaned from parenteral nutrition will require intestinal transplantation. Although the outcome following intestinal transplantation is improving, this procedure is still limited by donor availability and complications from immunosuppressive therapy.1

Tissue engineering uses cells, biomaterials (used as a scaffold to grow tissue on), and signaling molecules to generate new tissues.2 Developments in tissue engineering technology have led to its application to many organ systems. Several tissue-engineered products are either in clinical use or are being investigated in clinical trials. For example, skin substitutes made by seeding human foreskin fibroblasts on biomaterials have been employed to treat patients with venous stasis ulcers and burn injuries.3 Urinary bladder replacements made from autologous stem cells seeded on collagen and polyglycolic acid polymer constructs have been used to augment bladders for patients with myelomeningocele.4

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  1. Mail Code 709818, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA jdunn@mednet.ucla.edu

Authors and Affiliations

  1. JCY Dunn is Associate Professor of Bioengineering and Surgery in the Departments of Bioengineering and Surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,

    James CY Dunn

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Dunn, J. Is the tissue-engineered intestine clinically viable?. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 5, 366–367 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep1151

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