Tissue-engineered colon looks and acts like real intestine

Tissue-engineered colon (TEC) can be produced from neonatal syngeneic tissue, adult tissue, and TEC itself, and its architecture and physiology resembles that of native intestine, according to a new report.

A number of malignant and non-malignant conditions require partial or total colectomy. In this situation, the ileum is often called upon replace the large intestine.Unfortunately, the ileum is not an ideal substitute and a number of serious complications can arise, such as ileal pouchitis, high stool frequency, and pelvic sepsis due to pouch leakage. Thus, there is a need for substitutes that more closely mimic real colon.Previously, Dr. Joseph P. Vacanti, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues had shown that neonatal cell units could be transplanted to create tissue-engineered small intestine.Now, using a similar technique, Dr. Vacanti’s team shows that large intestine that resembles native colon can also be generated. The findings are published in the July issue of the Annals of Surgery.In the new study, the authors took colon cell units from neonatal and adult rats and transplanted them on a polymer scaffold into the omentum of syngeneic animals. After 4 weeks, the TEC generated was either excised or anastomosed.The histologic appearance of TEC was nearly indistinguishable from native colon, the investigators point out. Moreover, TEC showed in vitro function similar to that of mature colonocytes.This method of generating TEC “could be a successful way to replace large intestinal function when its lack is a source of morbidity, and to avoid the morbidity of treating complications related to other large intestinal replacement techniques,” the researchers conclude.(Source: Ann Surg 2003;238:35-41: Reuters Health: August 4, 2003: Oncolink)