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Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Tissue-Engineered Graft for Circumferential Esophageal Reconstruction in Rats
Published on: February 10, 2020
Tracheal regeneration using polycaprolactone/collagen-nanofiber coated with umbilical cord serum after partial
Yoon Seok Jang1, Chul Ho Jang2, Yong Beom Cho2
1Ecobio Laboratory, Gwangju, South Korea.
Objectives:
We developed a PCL/collagen nanofiber (PC-NF) scaffold/human umbilical cord serum (hUCS) to facilitate epithelial cell migration after implantation in order to promote regeneration of the tracheal epithelium without having a cell source.
Materials And Methods:
The isolated chodrocytes from bovine auricle were used to evaluate the cellular activities cultured in the scaffolds with or without hUCS. A 4mm wide/8mm long, full thickness anterior defect was created in the tracheal rings of rats. An anterior tracheal defect was implanted with a PCL/collagen-NF scaffold (PC-NF) in the control group (n=7), and a PCL/collagen-NF coated with hUCS scaffold (PCU-NF) was implanted in the experimental group (n=7). All rats were sacrificed at 7 weeks postoperatively. The cervical trachea, including the implant site, was resected, and gross and histological examinations were performed.
Results:
The viable cells of PCU-NF scaffold were significantly higher than that of the PCL and PC-NF scaffold at 7 days; the result can be due to the exceptional biological growth factors of the hUCS. The steromicroscopic finding showed that the artificial trachea was covered by perichondrium without dislocation or granulation at 7 weeks postsurgery. When compared to the control group, the PCU-NF group showed a completely regenerated tracheal wall with luminal epilthelization.
Conclusion:
As a results of this study, the PCU-NF scaffold promoted cartilage and epithelial regeneration over the artificial trachea without graft inflammation. Partial tracheal reconstruction using PCU-NF scaffold is suitable for enhancing cartilage and epithelial regeneration.

