Back to Search Start Over

Development of a Novel Perfusable Solution for ex vivo Preservation: Towards Photosynthetic Oxygenation for Organ Transplantation

Authors :
Valentina Veloso-Giménez
Rosalba Escamilla
David Necuñir
Rocío Corrales-Orovio
Sergio Riveros
Carlo Marino
Carolina Ehrenfeld
Christian Dani Guzmán
Mauricio P. Boric
Rolando Rebolledo
José Tomás Egaña
Source :
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Vol 9 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2021.

Abstract

Oxygen is the key molecule for aerobic metabolism, but no animal cells can produce it, creating an extreme dependency on external supply. In contrast, microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms, therefore, they are able to produce oxygen as plant cells do. As hypoxia is one of the main issues in organ transplantation, especially during preservation, the main goal of this work was to develop the first generation of perfusable photosynthetic solutions, exploring its feasibility for ex vivo organ preservation. Here, the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was incorporated in a standard preservation solution, and key aspects such as alterations in cell size, oxygen production and survival were studied. Osmolarity and rheological features of the photosynthetic solution were comparable to human blood. In terms of functionality, the photosynthetic solution proved to be not harmful and to provide sufficient oxygen to support the metabolic requirement of zebrafish larvae and rat kidney slices. Thereafter, isolated porcine kidneys were perfused, and microalgae reached all renal vasculature, without inducing damage. After perfusion and flushing, no signs of tissue damage were detected, and recovered microalgae survived the process. Altogether, this work proposes the use of photosynthetic microorganisms as vascular oxygen factories to generate and deliver oxygen in isolated organs, representing a novel and promising strategy for organ preservation.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
22964185
Volume :
9
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.4583ec6b5f34250a42c1816ac425aea
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2021.796157