Tissue engineering with electroporation

Abstract

Organ failure and the demand for donor organs for transplantation has resulted in recent progress within the field of tissue engineering and increased functionality in the development of tissues and whole organs. This complex field brings together many different techniques and technologies in an attempt to build a tissue construct that can support cell growth and fully integrate into the body after transplantation. Electroporation is one technology that has been applied towards various applications within the field of tissue engineering. For example, nonthermal irreversible electroporation (NTIRE) has been shown as a potential method for tissue decellularization, producing tissue- and organ-derived scaffolds by removing the cellular content while preserving important structural and biochemical features to support cell growth. This method has been applied both in vivo and ex vivo with the use of active perfusion. In addition, nonthermal irreversible electroporation (NTIRE) has been applied to develop natural scaffolds with controlled porosity to enable the development of vasculature within the newly developing tissue, allowing for nutrients to be delivered throughout. Reversible electroporation (RE) has also shown potential for applications within the field of tissue engineering. By creating temporary pores within the cell membrane, reversible electroporation can be used for gene transfection, resulting in transfected cells that express growth factors needed for vasculature development and also having applications for stem cell differentiation. With further research, these areas of electroporation may develop into impactful technologies for the field of tissue engineering.