Evaluation of the cellular differentiation of adipose mesenchymal cells after the use of graphene oxide scaffold on repair of urological injuries

• Grant number: 17/19186-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Wagner José Fávaro
• Grantee: Leandro das Neves Bernardi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Urethral stenosis is a urologic condition that affects a large number of patients. This can result from inflammatory, ischemic or traumatic reactions that lead to the formation of scar tissue, reducing the caliber of the urethral lumen. In order to improve this picture, post-surgery, the need to develop a scaffold for surgical urethral reconstruction was created, since traditional or conservative surgical treatments often lead to narrowing of the urethra or in more severe cases to the formation of fistulas. Currently, there is still no standard in the treatment of reconstruction of the urethra as well as for stenosis. More than 300 techniques are known for these purposes, but none of them have become standard, since to be successful in these treatments the choice of tissue for each case becomes very important. However, a number of studies have been carried out to see how promising the use of scaffold adhered with cells can be to improve the healing response while avoiding the formation of stenosis in urethral treatments. Different authors believe that for a scaffold to be considered ideal it should respect some characteristics like; be biocompatible, biodegradable, promote cell proliferation of both adhered cells and the growth of tissue cells that are implanted and have physical and mechanical characteristics favorable to their implantation. Due to the positive and promising results obtained by our research group in the development of a scaffold produced from graphene oxide conjugated to PEG (6ARM PEG amine (dipentaerythritol) HCl), polycaprolactone (PCL) (GO / PEG / PCL) polymer; which does not negatively interfere in the growth and differentiation of adipose stromal mesenchymal cells (AMSCs), improving the wound healing response and decreasing the inflammatory response in traumatic injuries of the urinary bladder of rats, the objectives of this study are to evaluate the differentiation of AMSCs in urothelial cells after the use of graphene oxide scaffolds adhered with adipose mesenchymal stromal cells (AMSCs) in the treatment of traumatic injury of the urinary bladder from Fischer 344 rats, aiming at the possible application of this scaffold in the treatment of urethral stenosis. (AU)