Artificial cavernosa-like tissue based on multibubble Matrigel and a human corpus cavernous fibroblast scaffold

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Urology

Background:

• Ex vivo tissue culture of human corpus cavernosum (CC) is crucial for studying its structure and signaling.
• Current methods for artificial CC tissue face limitations due to scarcity of primary tissue, inconvenience, and high costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, fast, and economical method for constructing artificial CC-like tissue.
• To establish an improved experimental platform for CC research and drug screening for erectile dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Human CC fibroblasts (FBs), endothelial cells (ECs), and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were cultured in vitro.
• Cells were mixed with Matrigel and processed to create a porous, spongy structure via vortexing and pipette blowing.
• The structural and cellular stability of the artificial tissue was assessed over 7 days in vitro.

Main Results:

• The method successfully created a porous, spongy CC-like tissue with ECs lining the lumen and SMCs in the trabeculae, mimicking native CC structure.
• Cellular components remained stable for 3 days, with a decrease in EC content by day 7.
• Activation of Wingless/integrated (WNT) signaling induced lumen atrophy and fibrosis, mirroring changes seen in primary CC.

Conclusions:

• A novel, cost-effective method for generating artificial CC-like tissue has been established.
• This artificial tissue serves as a promising platform for investigating CC function, structure, and developing therapies for erectile dysfunction.