Preparation of a pure autologous biodegradable fibrin matrix for tissue engineering

Parallel to the growing role of tissue engineering, the need for cell embedding materials, which allow cells to stabilise in a three-dimensional distribution, has increased. Although several substances have been tested, fibrin is thus far the only one that permits the clinical application of cultured tissue. To date, autologous fibrinogen has usually been polymerised with bovine thrombin, which can cause severe immunological side effects. The objective of this study was to explore the practicability of obtaining autologous thrombin from a single patient in an adequate concentration and amount. Fibrinogen was cryoprecipitated from 200 ml of freshly-frozen plasma. Thrombin was isolated from the supernatant through ion-exchange chromatography. The thrombin was first bound to Sephadex A-50 and then eluated using 2 ml of a salt buffer (2.0 M NaCl in 0.015 M trisodiumcitrate, pH 7.0). The activity of the thrombin (51 NIH x ml(-1) to 414 NIH x ml(-1) reached levels comparable to those in commercially available fibrin glues (4-500 NIH x ml(-1)). The study has shown that it is possible to obtain a sufficient amount of autologous thrombin from a single donor to create a fibrin matrix of high efficiency without the risk of immunological and infectious side effects.