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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Seeding and Implantation of a Biosynthetic Tissue-engineered Tracheal Graft in a Mouse Model
Published on: April 1, 2019
EGF-supplemented decellularized tracheal matrix hydrogels promote tracheal defect repair
Qingxu Hao1,2, Wenyu Song1,2, Peng Zuo1,2
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University,Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, Jiangsu, China.
Background:
Tracheal defect repair is a major clinical challenge in thoracic surgery, with long-segment defects having a low clinical repair rate. Autologous cartilage transplantation is limited by high postoperative stenosis and insufficient autologous tissue, while traditional artificial tracheal materials have poor biocompatibility and no epithelial regeneration-inducing capacity, leading to poor long-term efficacy. This study aimed to fabricate a biomimetic composite hydrogel and evaluate its physicochemical properties and tracheal repair efficacy, providing a new tissue-engineered strategy for clinical tracheal defect management.
Methods:
A PEGDA/DCM/EGF composite hydrogel was prepared via photopolymerization. Its physicochemical properties and EGF release pattern were characterized. In vitro experiments on rat tracheal epithelial cells assessed cell viability, proliferation and migration. A tracheal defect model was established in SD rats, with the hydrogel implanted; gross observation, HE staining and immunohistochemistry were performed at 2 weeks post-implantation to evaluate repair efficacy, with statistical methods used for intergroup comparisons.
Results:
The PEGDA/DCM hydrogel had optimized microstructure and mechanical properties matching native trachea, maintained structural stability under physiological conditions, and achieved sustained EGF release without burst effect. The PEGDA/DCM/EGF hydrogel significantly promoted the viability, proliferation and migration of rat tracheal epithelial cells in vitro. In vivo, implanted SD rats had intact tracheal architecture and unobstructed lumens at 2 weeks; HE staining and immunohistochemistry confirmed continuous epithelial layer formation and successful epithelialization at the defect site.
Conclusions:
The PEGDA/DCM/EGF composite hydrogel has favorable physicochemical properties, excellent biocompatibility and effective tracheal repair efficacy, with DCM optimizing hydrogel performance and sustained EGF release accelerating epithelial regeneration. This study provides a promising tissue-engineered strategy for tracheal defect repair, with significant clinical translation potential for thoracic surgery clinical practice.
