Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Science - Department of Zoology

This research aimed at studying the decellularization of normal, cancerous and fibrotic liver, the quality of the resulting liver matrix and finally the possibility of using the obtained liver matrix as a biological scaffold (bioscaffold) that could be used in liver tissue engineering. Three animal model groups, normal, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic fibrosis (HF) were used in this study. Decellularization of livers from the three animal models (normal, HCC, HF) were done by detergent perfusion through the portal vein and the remaining extracellular matrix (bioscaffold) was examined through growth architecture, histological, DNA concentration, immunohistochemical and morphometric studies. The recorded data revealed the removal of more than 95% of the whole cell population of liver leaving its whole architecture with most important component of the extracellular matrix intact. Cubic fragments of the resulting decellularized liver bioscaffolds of the three animal models (normal, HCC, HF) were seeded (recellularized) with mesenchymal stem cells and the development of the seeded cells was examined through histological, DNA concentration and albumin concentration studies. The obtained data revealed the potential of the seeded cells to proliferate and differentiate into hepatic cells which could carry out their function

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