Compositions and methods of transplanting cells by grafting strategies into solid organs (especially internal organs) are provided. These methods and compositions can be used to repair diseased organs or to establish models of disease states in experimental hosts. The method involves attachment onto the surface of a tissue or organ, a patch graft, a “bandaid-like” covering, containing epithelial cells with supporting early lineage stage mesenchymal cells. The cells are incorporated into soft gel-forming biomaterials prepared under serum-free, defined conditions comprised of nutrients, lipids, vitamins, and regulatory signals that collectively support stemness of the donor cells. The graft is covered with a biodegradable, biocompatible, bioresorbable backing used to affix the graft to the target site. The cells in the graft migrate into and throughout the tissue such that within a couple of weeks they are uniformly dispersed within the recipient (host) tissue. The mechanisms by which engraftment and integration of donor cells into the organ or tissue involve multiple membrane-associated and secreted forms of MMPs.

A method of making infused non-demineralized cartilage particles employs the following steps: cutting or shaving cartilage tissue into cartilage particles, washing the particles, and infusing the particles with a supernatant of biologic material or a polyampholyte cryoprotectant or a combination of both to create infused particles.

Devices and methods for transplanting cells in a host body are described. The cell comprises a porous scaffold that allows ingrowth of vascular and connective tissues, a plug or plug system configured for placement within the porous scaffold, and a seal configured to enclose a proximal opening in the porous scaffold. The device may further comprise a cell delivery device for delivering cells into the porous scaffold. The method of cell transplantation comprises a two step process. The device is incubated in the host body to form a vascularized collagen matrix around a plug positioned within the porous scaffold. The plug is then retracted from the porous scaffold, and cells are delivered into the vascularized space created within the porous scaffold.

The present invention provides for a liver tissue model construct composed of biomaterials and cells, to be used for scientific research within in the 3D liver tissue modelling field. The applications of said tissue model construct can be specific for pharmaceutical evaluations and/or discoveries, regenerative medicine investigations, tissue engineering developments, and liver physiology and/or pathology.

Synthetic polymers, e.g., synthetic heparin mimetics, are provided, including hydrogel compositions incorporating the synthetic polymers. Methods of making and using the synthetic polymers are also provided.

The present invention provides a means for reconstituting tissues and organs having mature functions. A method of preparing a tissue or an organ, comprising coculturing an organ cell with a vascular endothelial cell and a mesenchymal cell, generating an organ bud, transplanting the organ bud into a non-human animal, and then isolating from the non-human animal the transplanted organ bud-derived tissue or organ.

The present disclosure provides patterned biomaterials having organized cords and extracellular matrix embedded in a 3D scaffold. According, the present disclosure provides compositions and applications for patterned biomaterials. Pre-patterning of these biomaterials can lead to enhanced integration of these materials into host organisms, providing a strategy for enhancing the viability of engineered tissues by promoting vascularization.

A corneal implant and methods of forming and implanting the implant are described. The corneal implant comprises a portion of corneal endothelial tissue and a portion of scleral tissue. The corneal implant is keyhole shaped, with a disc portion and a tail portion. The tail portion may further comprise a perforated section.

A method for decellularization of a skin tissue according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a step of preparing a skin tissue to be decellularized; a peeling preparation step of treating the skin tissue with a first solution containing trypsin; and a peeling step of removing subcutaneous fat from the skin tissue after the peeling preparation step.

Methods are disclosed for forming tissue engineered, tubular gut-sphincter complexes from intestinal circular smooth muscle cells, sphincteric smooth muscle cells and enteric neural progenitor cells. The intestinal smooth muscle cells and neural progenitor cells can be seeded on a mold with a surface texture that induces longitudinal alignment of the intestinal smooth muscle cells and co-cultured until an innervated aligned smooth muscle sheet is obtained. The innervated smooth muscle sheet can then be wrapped around a tubular scaffold to form an intestinal tissue construct. Additionally, the sphincteric smooth muscle cells and additional enteric neural progenitor cells can be mixed in a biocompatiable gel solution, and the gel and admixed cells applied to a mold having a central post such that the sphinteric smooth muscle and neural progenitor cells can be cultured to form an innervated sphincter construct around the mold post. This innervated sphincter construct can also be transferred to the tubular scaffold such that the intestinal tissue construct and sphincter construct contact each other, and the resulting combined sphincter and intestinal tissue constructs can be further cultured about the scaffold until a unified tubular gut-sphincter complex is obtained.