Lymph Nodes as Sites for Tissue Regeneration

University of Pittsburgh
posted on 06/30/2009

The inventors demonstrate the use of lymph nodes as a new site for liver regeneration.

Suggested Uses

Extra-hepatic tissue for liver diseases
Insulin producing tissue for diabetes
Other bioengineered tissue for the production of missing proteins

Advantages

No currently available technology for lymph node engraftment described in literature

Innovation Details

Detailed Description

This study demonstrates that the hepatocytes transplanted intraperitoneally can engraft and survive in lymph nodes, and rescue an animal model of metabolic liver disease. The intraperitoneal transplantation of
hepatocytes could be an efficient mode of lymphatic site transplantation, generating a functional extra-hepatic liver mass for patients affected with liver disease.

File Number: 1664

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