Mesenchymal Stem Cells Increase Neo-Angiogenesis and Albumin Production in a Liver Tissue-Engineered Engraftment

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 17; no. 3; p. 374
• Main Authors: Carraro, Amedeo, Buggio, Maurizio, Gardin, Chiara, Tedeschi, Umberto, Ferroni, Letizia, Zavan, Padova-Barbara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI 12-03-2016; MDPI AG
• Subjects: Albumins - metabolism; angiogenesis; Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; engineered liver tissue; hepatocyte; Hepatocytes - cytology; Hepatocytes - metabolism; Hepatocytes - transplantation; Humans; hyaluronan-based scaffold; Hyaluronic Acid - metabolism; Liver - blood supply; Liver - metabolism; Liver Transplantation; mesenchymal stem cell; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - metabolism; Rats; Tissue Engineering - methods; Tissue Scaffolds; mesenchymal stem cell; engineered liver tissue; hepatocyte; angiogenesis; hyaluronan-based scaffold
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms17030374

The construction of a three-dimensional (3D) liver tissue is limited by many factors; one of them is the lack of vascularization inside the tissue-engineered construct. An engineered liver pocket-scaffold able to increase neo-angiogenesis in vivo could be a solution to overcome these limitations. In this work, a hyaluronan (HA)-based scaffold enriched with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and rat hepatocytes was pre-conditioned in a bioreactor system, then implanted into the liver of rats. Angiogenesis and hepatocyte metabolic functions were monitored. The formation of a de novo vascular network within the HA-based scaffold, as well as an improvement in albumin production by the implanted hepatocytes, were detected. The presence of hMSCs in the HA-scaffold increased the concentration of growth factors promoting angiogenesis inside the graft. This event ensured a high blood vessel density, coupled with a support to metabolic functions of hepatocytes. All together, these results highlight the important role played by stem cells in liver tissue-engineered engraftment.