title: Re-epithelialization: a key element in tracheal tissue engineering.
abstract: Trachea-tissue engineering is a thriving new field in regenerative medicine that is reaching maturity and yielding numerous promising results. In view of the crucial role that the epithelium plays in the trachea, re-epithelialization of tracheal substitutes has gradually emerged as the focus of studies in tissue-engineered trachea. Recent progress in our understanding of stem cell biology, growth factor interactions and transplantation immunobiology offer the prospect of optimization of a tissue-engineered tracheal epithelium. In addition, advances in cell culture technology and successful applications of clinical transplantation are opening up new avenues for the construction of a tissue-engineered tracheal epithelium. Therefore, this review summarizes current advances, unresolved obstacles and future directions in the reconstruction of a tissue-engineered tracheal epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1678 Dong Fang Road, Shanghai 200127, China.
authors.forename: Hengyi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1678 Dong Fang Road, Shanghai 200127, China.|Institute of Pediatric Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1678 Dong Fang Road, Shanghai 200127, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1678 Dong Fang Road, Shanghai 200127, China.
authors.forename: Zhiwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D006801:Humans; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D014132:Trachea
keywords: cell culture; epithelial cells; regenerative medicine; stem/progenitor cell; tissue engineering; trachea