title: Crossing kingdoms: Using decellularized plants as perfusable tissue engineering scaffolds.
abstract: Despite significant advances in the fabrication of bioengineered scaffolds for tissue engineering, delivery of nutrients in complex engineered human tissues remains a challenge. By taking advantage of the similarities in the vascular structure of plant and animal tissues, we developed decellularized plant tissue as a prevascularized scaffold for tissue engineering applications. Perfusion-based decellularization was modified for different plant species, providing different geometries of scaffolding. After decellularization, plant scaffolds remained patent and able to transport microparticles. Plant scaffolds were recellularized with human endothelial cells that colonized the inner surfaces of plant vasculature. Human mesenchymal stem cells and human pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes adhered to the outer surfaces of plant scaffolds. Cardiomyocytes demonstrated contractile function and calcium handling capabilities over the course of 21 days. These data demonstrate the potential of decellularized plants as scaffolds for tissue engineering, which could ultimately provide a cost-efficient, "green" technology for regenerating large volume vascularized tissue mass.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Joshua R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gershlak
authors.affiliation: Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.affiliation: Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Luke R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Perreault
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Katrina J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States.
authors.forename: Bernard Y K
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Binder
authors.affiliation: Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dolivo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, United States; Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, United States.
authors.forename: Tianhong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States; Center for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dominko
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Marsha W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Rolle
authors.affiliation: Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Pamela J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Weathers
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, United States; Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, United States.
authors.forename: Fabricio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Medina-Bolivar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, United States; Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, United States.
authors.forename: Carole L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.affiliation: Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States; Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States; Material Sciences and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States. Electronic address: gaudette@wpi.edu.
authors.forename: Glenn R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Gaudette
mesh_terms: D061249:Batch Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D002474:Cell-Free System / Q000737:chemistry; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004867:Equipment Design; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D010477:Perfusion / Q000379:methods*; D028528:Petroselinum / Q000737:chemistry; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D058526:Plant Vascular Bundle / Q000737:chemistry*; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000737:chemistry; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
keywords: Decellularization; Perfusable scaffold; Plants; Regenerative medicine; Tissue engineering