Prof. M. A. Birchall with his colleagues have developed a model of restoration and transplantation of brain nerves which allows to improve locomotor innervation. This model is a central part of their organ replacement program (it concerns, particularly, the larynx). In this program, Schwann’s cell obtained from stem cells are used, as well as growth factors promoting optimal restoration of innervation. While preparing for an operation for transplantation of the bioengineered trachea, the workers from M. A. Birchall’s group have used biopsy of patient’s bronchial mucus. In the future, M. A. Birchall’s laboratory plans: larynx transplantation in human; development of tissue-engineered larynx; clinical trials in maxillary nerve restoration using neurotrophin and other peptide-cell constructions. Subsequent cultivation of those cells and conformation of their epithelial phenotype have allowed to obtain autologous epithelial cells which may be placed into a bioreactor and used in implantation.
Place of employment — Faculty of Clinical Sciences and Clinical Medicine Dentistry, University of Bristol, Great Britain.
Contacts — University of Bristol, Churchill Building, Langford House, Bristol BS40 5DU, United Kingdom. +44 (117) 3319060, martin.birchall@bristol.ac.uk .
Publications — Clinical transplantation of a tissue-engineered airway. Macchiarini P, Jungebluth P, Go T, Asnaghi MA, Rees LE, Cogan TA, Dodson A, Martorell J, Bellini S, Parnigotto PP, Dickinson SC, Hollander AP, Mantero S, Conconi MT, Birchall MA. Lancet. 2008 Dec 13;372(9655):2023–30. Cell- and tissue-engineered organ replacements. Birchall MA. Br J Surg. 2009 Jun;96(6):565–6 At the Crossroads: Mucosal Immunology of the Larynx. Thibeault SL, Rees L, Pazmany L, Birchall MA. Mucosal Immunol. 2009 Mar;2(2):122–8
