Figures & data
Figure 1. Schematic of decellularization and recellularization based whole lung regeneration for transplantation. Harvested human or animal lungs are decellularized by detergents such as SDS, CHAPS, or Triton-X. The decellularized lung is recellularized by the recipient’s own stem/progenitor cells or iPSCs.
Table 1. Detergents and sources of cells for recellularization in the lung.
Figure 2. (A) Comparison of Collagen, GAG, and DNA content in untreated control lung vs. decellularized lung. Asterisk indicates a significant difference between the groups (*; P < 0.05, **; P < 0.005,). Data are expressed as mean values ±SD, n = 5. (B) Histological and immunohistochemical comparison of the ECM in untreated control lung vs. decellularized lung. Scale bar = 100 µm
Figure 3. Possible approaches for recellularization and maturation of decellularized lung. Harvested stem cells can be matured and differentiated in vitro or left in the progenitor cell state using trophic factors and re-seeded into decellularized lung scaffolds. Mediators can then be used to support maturation, followed by bioreactor culture using intermittent mechanical stretch to simulate fetal breathing. Length and extent of organ maturation ex vivo can vary.
