ISCT 2021 | Advances in organ bioengineering

Paolo De Coppi, MD, PhD, FMedSci, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health & NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK, provides an overview of the current landscape of bioengineering for organ replacement and some of the key considerations during the development of tissue-engineered organs, including the types of cell and polymers used. He notes that for the regeneration of simple tissues, autologous somatic cells may be sufficient, however, for more complex organs, pluripotent stem cells would likely be required, which would require immunosuppression upon implantation in order to avoid tissue rejection. Dr De Coppi also describes ongoing research into the use of biliary organoids for the repair of the damaged liver. This interview took place during the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting 2021.