Riccardo Tamburrini - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Riccardo Tamburrini

The role of glycosaminoglycans in decellularization and cell-on-scaffold technology

Expert Review of Medical Devices, 2016

A step towards clinical application of acellular matrix: A clue from macrophage polarization

Matrix Biology, 2016

The outcome of tissue engineered organ transplants depends on the capacity of the biomaterial to ... more The outcome of tissue engineered organ transplants depends on the capacity of the biomaterial to promote a pro-healing response once implanted in vivo. Multiple studies, including ours, have demonstrated the possibility of using the extracellular matrix (ECM) of animal organs as platform for tissue engineering and more recently, discarded human organs have also been proposed as scaffold source. In contrast to artificial biomaterials, natural ECM has the advantage of undergoing continuous remodeling which allows adaptation to diverse conditions. It is known that natural matrices present diverse immune properties when compared to artificial biomaterials. However, how these properties compare between diseased and healthy ECM and artificial scaffolds has not yet been defined. To answer this question, we used decellularized renal ECM derived from WT mice and from mice affected by Alport Syndrome at different time-points of disease progression as a model of renal failure with extensive fibrosis. We characterized the morphology and composition of these ECMs and compared their in vitro effects on macrophage activation with that of synthetic scaffolds commonly used in the clinic (collagen type I and poly-L-(lactic) acid, PLLA). We showed that ECM derived from Alport kidneys differed in fibrous protein deposition and cytokine content when compared to ECM derived from WT kidneys. Yet, both WT and Alport renal ECM induced macrophage differentiation mainly towards a reparative (M2) phenotype, while artificial biomaterials towards an inflammatory (M1) phenotype. Anti-inflammatory properties of natural ECMs were lost when homogenized, hence three-dimensional structure of ECM seems crucial for generating an anti-inflammatory response. Together, these data support the notion that natural ECM, even if derived from diseased kidneys promote a M2 protolerogenic macrophage polarization, thus providing novel insights on the applicability of ECM obtained from discarded organs as ideal scaffold for tissue engineering.

Extracellular matrix scaffolds as a platform for kidney regeneration

European journal of pharmacology, Jan 22, 2016

Chronic and end stage renal disease (ESRD) have reached pandemic levels and pose a substantial pu... more Chronic and end stage renal disease (ESRD) have reached pandemic levels and pose a substantial public health burden. Unfortunately, available therapies lack efficacy in preventing progression to its end stage phase. Regenerative medicine promises to restore function of diseased organs among which the kidney, through two possible approaches: firstly, the maximization of the innate ability of tissues to repair or regenerate following injury; secondly, the ex vivo bio-fabrication of the organ in question. When regenerative medicine is applied to the setting of chronic or ESRD, it is intuitive that endeavors to improve renal repair, promote nephrogenesis in damaged kidneys, or the de novo engineering of transplantable kidneys, could have a major impact on the current management of this pandemic. Among the different regenerative medicine technologies currently under development, cell-on-scaffold seeding technology (CSST) - involving cells seeded throughout supporting scaffold structures ...

Autologous Cells for Kidney Bioengineering

Current Transplantation Reports, 2016

Worldwide, increasing numbers of patients are developing end-stage renal disease, and at present,... more Worldwide, increasing numbers of patients are developing end-stage renal disease, and at present, the only treatment options are dialysis or kidney transplantation. Dialysis is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, poor life quality and high economic costs. Transplantation is by far the better option, but there are insufficient numbers of donor kidneys available. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore alternative approaches. In this review, we discuss how this problem could potentially be addressed by using autologous cells and appropriate scaffolds to develop &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;bioengineered&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; kidneys for transplantation. In particular, we will highlight recent breakthroughs in pluripotent stem cell biology that have led to the development of autologous renal progenitor cells capable of differentiating to all renal cell types and will discuss how these cells could be combined with appropriate scaffolds to develop a bioengineered kidney.

Heterogeneity of Scaffold Biomaterials in Tissue Engineering

Materials, 2016

Kidney transplantation, bioengineering and regeneration: an originally immunology-based discipline destined to transition towards ad hoc organ manufacturing and repair

Expert review of clinical immunology, Jan 4, 2015

Kidney transplantation (KT), as a modality of renal replacement therapy (RRT), has been shown to ... more Kidney transplantation (KT), as a modality of renal replacement therapy (RRT), has been shown to be both economically and functionally superior to dialysis for the treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Progress in KT is limited by two major barriers: a) a chronic and burgeoning shortage of transplantable organs and b) the need for chronic immunosuppression following transplantation. Although ground-breaking advances in transplant immunology have improved patient survival and graft durability, a new pathway of innovation is needed in order to overcome current obstacles. Regenerative medicine (RM) holds the potential to shift the paradigm in RRT, through organ bioengineering. Manufactured organs represent a potentially inexhaustible source of transplantable grafts that would bypass the need for immunosuppressive drugs by using autologous cells to repopulate extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds. This overview discusses the current status of renal transplantation while reviewing ...

A Decade of Hand Assisted Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy – Lessons learnt from 870 cases

Selective Osmotic Shock (SOS)-Based Islet Isolation for Microencapsulation

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 2017

Islet transplantation (IT) has recently been shown to be a promising alternative to pancreas tran... more Islet transplantation (IT) has recently been shown to be a promising alternative to pancreas transplantation for reversing diabetes. IT requires the isolation of the islets from the pancreas, and these islets can be used to fabricate a bio-artificial pancreas. Enzymatic digestion is the current gold standard procedure for islet isolation but has lingering concerns. One such concern is that it has been shown to damage the islets due to nonselective tissue digestion. This chapter provides a detailed description of a nonenzymatic method that we are exploring in our lab as an alternative to current enzymatic digestion procedures for islet isolation from human and nonhuman pancreatic tissues. This method is based on selective destruction and protection of specific cell types and has been shown to leave the extracellular matrix (ECM) of islets intact, which may thus enhance islet viability and functionality. We also show that these SOS-isolated islets can be microencapsulated for transpla...

Obesity and Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Living-Donor Nephrectomy (HALDN): Short and Medium Term Outcomes

Venous Thromboembolism Audit in Adult kidney only and Simultaneous Pancreas Kidney (SPK) transplant recipients

Pre-operative Iliac US Duplex Assessment of Kidney Transplant Recipients

Obesity and hand-assisted laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomy (HALDN): Short and medium term outcomes

International Journal of Surgery, 2015

Tissue-Engineering Approaches to Restore Kidney Function

Current Diabetes Reports, 2015

Kidney transplantation for the treatment of chronic kidney disease has established outcome and qu... more Kidney transplantation for the treatment of chronic kidney disease has established outcome and quality of life. However, its implementation is severely limited by a chronic shortage of donor organs; consequently, most candidates remain on dialysis and on the waiting list while accruing further morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, those patients that do receive kidney transplants are committed to a life-long regimen of immunosuppressive drugs that also carry significant adverse risk profiles. The disciplines of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have the potential to produce alternative therapies which circumvent the obstacles posed by organ shortage and immunorejection. This review paper describes some of the most promising tissue-engineering solutions currently under investigation for the treatment of acute and chronic kidney diseases. The various stem cell therapies, whole embryo transplantation, and bioengineering with ECM scaffolds are outlined and summarized.

Scottish medical journal, Jan 28, 2015

A management algorithm for large renal cyst in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPK... more A management algorithm for large renal cyst in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is lacking despite the potential to cause widespread medical and surgical complications. We report the case of a 37-year-old gentleman with ADPKD and large (>5 cm diameter) cysts who suffered sudden death due to autopsy-proven inferior vena cava and pulmonary arterial thrombosis. In this article, we discuss the possible pathophysiological factors at play in this catostrophic complication of ADPKD. We also review available literature to establish the prevalence of such a complication and also establish current thoughts and opinions as to the optimal management strategy for giant cysts in the context of ADPKD.

International Journal of Surgery, 2014

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Sa1937 UK Multicentre Surgical Experience With Primary Duodenal Adenocarcinoma

Gastroenterology, 2014