A Method to Enhance Re-Endothelialization of Tissue Engineered Decellularized Allograft Heart Scaffolds

• Author / Creator

  Desai, Leena

• Allograft tissue is used to reconstruct cardiac birth defects but induces an immune response resulting in allo-sensitization. Decellularization reduces the immune response, however, acellular vascular tissue is thrombogenic. In-vitro endothelialization may attenuate thrombogenicity. Here we offer our work, which determines a novel method of endothelial cell attachment using Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic Acid (RGD) peptides.
  We show that an RGD-FITC peptide can be bound to a decellularized ovine cardiac scaffold. RGD modification increases HUVEC cell adhesion to the surface at 3 days of static incubation in-vitro compared to decellularized tissue alone. Repetition using a decellularized human scaffold shows similar results. Cleavage of the potentially immunogenic FITC label retains our RGD peptide.
  In summary, we determine that decellularized allografts show enhanced HUVEC cell adhesion when modified with an RGD peptide under static conditions. This may increase cell retention in-vivo leading to a decellularized cardiac allograft repopulated with functional autologous cells from the recipient.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Re-Endothelialization
  • Tissue-engineering
  • Decellularization

• Graduation date

  Fall 2009

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3S034

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.