Use of decellularized tracheas for airways engineering

Background/Objective: Tracheal stenosis produces serious dyspnea. In some cases, a defective correction or timely intervention can lead to the death of the patient. The Hospital Clinico Universitario de Valencia is a reference hospital for the treatment of patients with airway problems exhibiting complex tracheal stenosis. Surgery is limited to a maximum length of 6-7 cm and it is not exempt of mortality (3-5%). In this study we have study the useful of decellularized porcine tracheas to be used in airway regenerative medicine. Methods: Three porcine tracheas were cut in 3 cm rings and exposed to SDS 2% for up to four weeks. Cell content was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy (DAPI) weekly. Haematoxylin Eosin, Masson Trichrome, Orcein and PAS staining. Tracheal rings were cultured with human airway epithelial cells and chondrocytes for up to three weeks. Results : SDS removed completely cells from tracheas analysed. After culture we observed epithelial cell attachment in the surface of the tracheal rings as well as chondrocytes in the cartilage layer of the tracheas analysed. Conclusion : Our results point to the utility of SDS 2% treatment to remove the cells in the different tissues forming the trachea. This treatment not only exhibits a minimal disturbance of the extracellular matrix but also allows the attachment and proliferation of airway epithelial cells and primary chondrocytes. In summary, SDS may be useful to generate decellularized scaffolds for airway tissue engineering applications.