title: Collagen vitrigel scaffold for regenerative medicine of the trachea: experimental study and quantitative evaluation.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Our technique for tracheal regeneration using a collagen vitrigel scaffold affords a feasible approach for accelerating epithelial regeneration on the intraluminal surface of the host tracheal defect.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of a collagen vitrigel scaffold for the regeneration of the tracheal epithelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  The collagen vitrigel scaffold was developed by conjugating a collagen vitrigel membrane to a collagen sponge to promote both epithelial cell growth and mesenchymal cell infiltration. The collagen vitrigel scaffold was implanted into tracheal defects in rats as the vitrigel model, and a conventional collagen sponge was implanted as a control model. The structure of the regenerated tissue was observed and thickness of the epithelium was quantitatively evaluated by histological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histological findings showed the surface of the collagen vitrigel scaffold to be flat in comparison with that of the conventional collagen sponge. At 7, 14, and 28 days post-implantation, the average thickness of the regenerated epithelial layer in the vitrigel model group was greater than that in the control group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takezawa
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Omori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D012038:Regeneration; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014132:Trachea / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen