This paper describes the successful development and 180-day testing of a tissue-engineered esophagus in a growing large-animal model. Researchers created these functional grafts by microinjecting a decellularized porcine scaffold with the subject's own muscle-derived cells and fibroblasts, followed by maturation in a specialized bioreactor. This integrated approach, which utilized biodegradable stents and surgical vascularization, resulted in 63% of the subjects reaching the six-month endpoint with restored oral feeding and normal growth. Comprehensive analysis confirmed that the grafts underwent progressive structural remodeling, eventually mimicking the native organ's multi-layered architecture and neurovascular complexity. Notably, the study demonstrates the restoration of secondary peristalsis and muscular contractility without the need for lifelong immunosuppression. These findings suggest a promising future for treating pediatric esophageal defects, offering a potential alternative to invasive organ transpositions.

References:

• Durkin N, Hall G T, Lutman R, et al. Functional integration of an autologous engineered esophagus in a large-animal model[J]. Nature Biotechnology, 2026: 1-14.