The Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine accepted our latest paper on „Improved rat liver decellularization by arterial perfusion under oscillating pressure conditions“ for publication. Authors are B. Struecker, A. Butter, K. Hillebrandt, D. Polenz , A. Reutzel-Selke, P. Tang, S. Lippert, A. Leder, S. Rohn, D. Geisel, T. Denecke, K. Aliyev, K. Jöhrens, N. Raschzok, P. Neuhaus, J. Pratschke and I.M. Sauer.

One approach of regenerative medicine to generate functional hepatic tissue in vitro is de- and recellularization and several protocols for the decellularization of different species have been published. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on rat liver decellularization by perfusion via the hepatic artery under oscillating pressure conditions, intending to optimize microperfusion and minimize damage to the ECM. Four decellularization protocols were compared: perfusion via the portal vein (PV) or the hepatic artery (HA), with (+P) or without (-P) oscillating pressure conditions. All rat livers (n=24) were perfused with 1% Triton X-100 and 1% SDS, each for 90 minutes with a perfusion rate of 5ml/min. Perfusion decellularization was observed macroscopically and the decellularized liver matrices (DLMs) were analyzed by histology and biochemical analyses (e.g., levels of DNA, glycosaminoglycans (GAG), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Livers decellularized via the hepatic artery and under oscillating pressure showed a more homogenous decellularization and less remaining DNA, compared to livers of the other experimental groups. The novel decellularization method described is effective, quick (3 hours) and gentle to the ECM and thus represents an improvement of existing methodology.

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology invited us to provide a review on liver support strategies.

The treatment of end-stage liver disease and acute liver failure remains a clinically relevant issue. Although orthotopic liver transplantation is a well-established procedure, whole-organ transplantation is invasive and increasingly limited by the unavailability of suitable donor organs. Artificial and bioartificial liver support systems have been developed to provide an alternative to whole organ transplantation, but despite three decades of scientific efforts, the results are still not convincing with respect to clinical outcome. In this Review, conceptual limitations of clinically available liver support therapy systems are discussed. Furthermore, alternative concepts, such as hepatocyte transplantation, and cutting-edge developments in the field of liver support strategies, including the repopulation of decellularized organs and the biofabrication of entirely new organs by printing techniques or induced organogenesis are analysed with respect to clinical relevance. Whereas hepatocyte transplantation shows promising clinical results, at least for the temporary treatment of inborn metabolic diseases, so far data regarding implantation of engineered hepatic tissue have only emerged from preclinical experiments. However, the evolving techniques presented here raise hope for bioengineered liver support therapies in the future.


Update: The review „Liver support strategies: cutting-edge technologies“ (authors: Benjamin Struecker, Nathanael Raschzok & Igor M. Sauer) is now available.

Die Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie, Bereich Medizintechnik, die Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin und die IHK Berlin laden zum
28. Treffpunkt Medizintechnik „Biologisierte Medizintechnik“
am Donnerstag, 25. September 2014, 9 bis 17 Uhr
in der Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum
ein.
Mit dem „Treffpunkt Medizintechnik“ wird eine interdisziplinäre Dialogplattform für Klinik, Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft geboten.
Die Deadline für Vortragsmeldungen ist der 11. April 2014. Unter www.healthcapital.de/TP-Med finden Sie weitere Informationen und haben die Möglichkeit, sich auch online anzumelden.

Our latest manuscript entitled "Functionalizable silica-based micron-sized iron oxide particles for cellular Magnetic Resonance Imaging" was accepted for publication in the journal "Cell Transplantation".

Cellular therapies require methods for non-invasive visualization of transplanted cells. Micron-sized iron oxide particles (MPIOs) generate strong contrast in
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and are therefore ideally suited as an intracellular contrast agent to image cells under clinical conditions. However,
MPIOs were previously not applicable for clinical use. Here, we present the development and evaluation of silica-based micron-sized iron oxide particles
(sMPIOs) with a functionalizable particle surface.


UPDATE: The paper is now available (Cell Transplant. 2013; 22(11): 1959-1570)

The 35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC’13) will take place 3-7 July 2013, at the Osaka International Convention Center, in Osaka, Japan.
The conference will cover diverse topics such as biomedical engineering, healthcare technologies, and medical and clinical applications.
The ESAO will be represented via a minisymposium entitled "Artificial Organs for Metabolic Support. The most Challenging Problems". Jan Wojcicki will give a presentation on "Artificial Organs for Metabolic Support: The Most Challenging Problems of Artificial Pancreas", Bernd Stegmayr on "Artificial Organs for Metabolic Support: The Most Challenging Problems in Severe Kidney Injury When Dialysis Is Necessary" and Igor Sauer on "Artificial Organs for Metabolic Support: The Most Challenging Problems of Liver Support".

Our latest review on „Noninvasive monitoring of liver cell transplantation“ (authors are N. Raschzok, H.M. Morgül, L. Stelter & I.M. Sauer) is available in Imaging in Medicine, 2013; 5: 47-61:
Liver cell transplantation was developed as a therapeutic alternative to solid liver transplantation in the management of liver-based metabolic disorders and may be useful for the treatment of acute or chronic liver failure. While clinical studies have demonstrated temporal amelioration of the symptoms of metabolic liver disorders by transplanted liver cells, the long-term outcome of liver cell transplantation is still insufficient. A major limitation for improving liver cell transplantation is the inability to track the fate of cells once they have been infused. Radionuclide-based imaging, MRI and optical methods have been investigated as methods for noninvasive monitoring of liver cell transplantation. This article summarizes and critically discusses these approaches, with a special focus on MRI-based tracking of transplanted liver cells and provides an outlook on possible clinical applications for the near future.

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
Dear ladies and gentlemen,

Sie sind herzlich eingeladen, unserer öffentlichen Abschlusspräsentation unseres EU/EFRE-Projekts am 20.03.2013 um 15:00 Uhr beizuwohnen. Zusammen mit unseren Partnern der Firma microparticles GmbH werden wir den aktuellen Stand zur „Entwicklung von Partikel zur Detektion und ultralokoregionären Stimulation transplantierter Leberzellen“ darlegen.
You are cordially invited to attend our public presentation of our EU/EFRE project. Together with our partners of microparticles GmbH we will present our latest results concerning the „Development of particles for detection and ultralocoregional stimulation of transplanted liver cells“.

Wann/When?
20.03.2013 um/at 15:00

Wo/Where?
Experimentelle Chirurgie und Regenerative Medizin
Klinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral- und Transplantationschirurgie
Charité, Campus Virchow-Klinikum
Forschungshaus/BMFZ
Pilzraum, 1.OG

Wir wären dankbar, wenn Sie Ihr Kommen via email (anja.selke@charite.de)bestätigen könnten.
RSVP via email (anja.selke@charite.de).

Today, Nils Billecke successfully defended his doctoral thesis magna cum laude. The title of his presentation was „Bioreaktorsystem zur videomikroskopischen Langzeituntersuchung von Zellen in Mono- und Kokultur“.

Congratulations!

Nathanael Raschzok's poster entitled "Serum protein biomarkers for acute rejection
in liver transplantation" was awarded with the GASL 2013 poster prize during the 29th Annual Meeting of the German Association for the Study of the Liver (GASL) in Hannover, Germany. Co-authors are Kukuh A. Prabowo, Anja Reutzel-Selke, Rosa B. Schmuck, Mehmet H. Morgul, Laura M. Tannus, Stephanie König, Sven Jonas, Peter Neuhaus, and Igor M. Sauer.


Although 20–40% of patients experience at least one episode of acute rejection (AR) after liver transplantation (LTx), diagnosis of AR is still mainly based on tissue analysis from liver biopsies. Biomarker routinely taken from blood samples would be a powerful non-invasive tool for monitoring of the liver graft status. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum protein biomarkers for acute rejection in LTx recipients. Serum samples from n=20 patients with AR and n=15 stable controls were analyzed. CXCL9 and CD31 were up-regulated in AR samples compared to controls at the time point of histologically proven rejection and at earlier time points prior rejection. Areas under the Receiver Operation Characteristics (ROC) curves were 0.6 and 0.7 at the day of rejection and 0.8 at POD1 for CXCL9 and CD31, respectively. IL-6 was increased prior and during rejection, while CD44 showed an opposite trend.
Serum protein biomarkers could be valuable for detection and prediction of AR after LTx. However, a larger number of patients, additional control groups, and prospective clinical trials will be necessary to proof the clinical utility of this diagnostic tool.

Moreover, Rosa Schmuck presented her data on "Bile: miRNA pattern and cell morphology as a diagnostic tool after liver transplantation" (co-authors: Nathanael Raschzok, Anja Reutzel-Selke, Steffen Lippert, Stephanie König, Kukuh A. Prabowo, Mehmet H. Morgul, Laura M. Tannus, Sven Jonas, Peter Neuhaus, and Igor M. Sauer) and Luisa Lisboa her work on "MicroRNA miR-352 in early liver regeneration: what role?" (co-authors: Nathanael Raschzok, Annekatrin Leder, Natalie Schlüter, Marc Jörres, Susanne Kolano, Antje Butter, Steffen Lippert, Wiebke Werner, Peter Neuhaus, and Igor M. Sauer).

Today, David Mücke successfully defended his thesis magna cum laude with respect to his work on the in vitro evaluation of MRI contrast agents for detection of primary human hepatocytes („In vitro Evaluierung von Magnetresonanztomografie-Kontrastmitteln für die Markierung primärer humaner Hepatozyten“).

Congratulations !

The European Society for Artificial Organs (ESAO) invites you to the XXXX ESAO Congress of the society to be held in Glasgow (Scotland, UK), September 11th-14th 2013.The motto of the ESAO congress will be 'lab to patient - from concept to treatment.

This year members of the team gave the following presentations:

“Liver: Current regenerative strategies and future solutions for the liver" (N. Raschzok, oral presentation)
"Neohybrid liver graft - a novel concept of in vivo tissue-engineering" (S. Rohn, oral presentation)
"Micro RNAs in liver regeneration: the mysterious MIR-352" (L. Lisboa, oral presentation)
"Micron-sized iron oxide particles for detection and loco-regional stimulation of transplanted liver cells" (A. Leder, oral presentation)
"Prospective validation of cross organ serum protein biomarkers – Initial results with CXCL9 and CD44 for diagnosis of acute liver rejection" (K.A. Prabowo, poster presentation)