Pancreas Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pancreas Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Windows of opportunity for organogenesis.

Hammerman MR

Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. mhammerm@wustl.edu

Growing new organs in situ by implanting developing animal organ anlagen/primordia represents a novel solution to the problem of limited supply for human donor organs that offers advantages relative to transplanting embryonic stem (ES) cells or xenotransplantation of developed organs. We and others have shown that renal anlagen transplanted into animal hosts undergo differentiation and growth, become vascularized by blood vessels of host origin, exhibit excretory function and support life in otherwise anephric hosts. Renal anlagen can be transplanted across both concordant (rat to mouse) and highly disparate (pig to rodent) xenogeneic barriers. Similarly, pancreatic anlagen can be transplanted across concordant and highly disparate barriers, and undergo growth, differentiation and secrete insulin in a physiological manner following intra-peritoneal placement. Successful transplantation of organ primordia depends on obtaining them at defined windows during embryonic development within which the risk of teratogenicity is eliminated, growth potential is maximized, and immunogenicity is reduced. Here we review studies that delineate such developmental windows of opportunity for kidney and pancreas.

Published 14 October 2005 in Transpl Immunol, 15(1): 1-8.
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