Generation of human-sized bioengineered bile ducts

“生物学研究的进步有可能使科学家们通过将人类细胞与生物或化学衍生的支架结合起来，构建人工或生物工程器官。总部位于剑桥的中小企业Bilitech已经开发出一种在实验室制造生物工程胆管的技术，并打算将其转化为临床应用于患者。胆管形成一个管道网络，将有毒胆汁从肝脏转移到肠道。由于损伤或疾病对胆管的损害会导致胆汁在肝脏中溢出，造成严重的肝损伤和衰竭。目前，由于缺乏可用于修复或替换受损胆管的健康胆管，治疗胆管疾病的唯一治疗方法是肝移植或使用小肠从肝脏排出胆汁的复杂手术。然而，肝移植受到可用器官缺乏的限制，而这两种手术都与严重的并发症、多次住院和NHS费用增加有关。为了解决这一挑战，Bilitech开发了一种在实验室中生成人工胆管的技术。该技术已成功地生成了微型胆管，并成功地用于替代小鼠胆管。Bilitech的总体目标是将这种产品从目前的微型形式推进到可行的人类临床治疗。通过与剑桥大学和NHS的联系，该公司具有独特的优势，可以获得专业知识、资源、患者和基础设施。Bilitech还将与Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult的专家合作，确定人体大小的生物工程胆管的最佳制造工艺，并进行健康经济分析，确定将该技术推向市场的最佳策略。该项目的目的是测试该技术产生人体大小的生物工程胆管的可行性，并评估开发这种疗法的市场潜力和成本。生物工程胆管的产生将为胆管疾病的治疗提供肝移植的第一个替代疗法，减少NHS的压力和成本，并显著改善患者的健康和生活质量。”

"Advances in biological research has the potential to enable scientists to build artificial or bioengineered organs by combining human cells with biologically- or chemically-derived scaffolds. Bilitech, a SME based in Cambridge, has developed a technology to manufacture bioengineered bile ducts in the laboratory and aims to translate it to the clinic for use in patients.Bile ducts form a network of tubes that transfer toxic bile from the liver to the gut. Damage to bile ducts through injury or disease leads to overflow of bile in the liver causing, severe liver damage and failure. Currently, due to the lack of healthy bile ducts that could be used to repair or replace the damaged ducts, the only treatment for the management of bile duct disorders is liver transplantation or a complex operation in which the small intestine is used to drain the bile from the liver. However, liver transplantation is limited by the lack of available organs, while both operations are associated with significant complications, multiple hospital admissions and increased cost for the NHS.To address this challenge Bilitech has developed a technology for the generation of artificial bile ducts in the laboratory. This technology has been successful in generating miniature bile ducts which were used to successfully replace the bile duct of mice. Bilitech's overall aim is to advance this product from its current miniature form to a viable clinical therapy for humans. The company is uniquely placed to deliver this impact through its links with the University of Cambridge and the NHS which, allow access to expertise, resources, patients and infrastructure. Bilitech will additionally collaborate with experts from the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to identify the best manufacturing process for human-sized bioengineered bile ducts, and to perform health-economic analysis identify the best strategy for bringing the technology to the market.The aim of this project is to test the feasibility of the technology to generate human sized bioengineered bile ducts and asses the market potential and cost of developing this therapy. The generation of bioengineered bile ducts will provide the first alternative therapy to liver transplantation for the management of bile duct disorders, reducing pressure and cost for the NHS and significantly improve patients' health and quality of life."