title: Esophagus tissue engineering: hybrid approach with esophageal epithelium and unidirectional smooth muscle tissue component generation in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to engineer the two main components of the esophagus in vitro: (a) esophageal epithelium and (b) smooth muscle tissue. Furthermore, (a) survivability of esophageal epithelial cells (EEC) on basement membrane matrix (BMM)-coated scaffolds and (b) oriented smooth muscle tissue formation on unidirectional BMM-coated collagen scaffolds was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Both EEC and smooth muscle cells (SMC) were sourced from Sprague-Dawley rats. The EEC were maintained in vitro and seeded onto BMM-coated 2-D collagen scaffolds. Similarly, smooth muscle cells were obtained using an explants technique and seeded on unidirectional 3-D BMM-coated collagen scaffolds. Cell-polymer constructs for EEC and SMC were maintained in vitro for 8 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Protocols to obtain higher yield of EEC were established. EEC formed a layer of differentiated epithelium after 14 days. EEC survivability on polymers was observed up to 8 weeks. Unidirectional smooth muscle tissue strands were successfully engineered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Esophageal epithelium generation, survivability of EEC on BMM-coated scaffolds, and engineering of unidirectional smooth muscle strands were successful in vitro. The hybrid approach of assembling individual tissue components in vitro using BMM-coated scaffolds and later amalgamating them to form composite tissue holds promises in the tissue engineering of complex organ systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz-34, 8036 Graz, Austria. amulya.saxena@meduni-graz.at
authors.forename: Amulya K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kofler
authors.forename: Herwig
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ainödhofer
authors.forename: Micheal E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Höllwarth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen; D004947:Esophagus / Q000166:cytology*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology*; D011108:Polymers; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D003094:Collagen