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Background:

Tissue–engineered liver grafts may offer a viable alternative to orthotopic liver transplantation and help overcome the donor organ shortage. Decellularized liver matrices (DLM) have a preserved vasculature and sustain hepatocellular function in culture, but graft survival after transplantation remains limited due to thrombogenicity of the matrix.

Aim:

To evaluate the effect of heparin immobilization on DLM thrombogenicity.

Methods:

Heparin was immobilized on DLMs by means of layer-by-layer deposition. Grafts with 4 or 8 bilayers and 2 or 4 g/L of heparin were recellularized with primary rat hepatocytes and maintained in culture for 5 days. Hemocompatibility of the graft was assessed by ex vivo diluted whole-blood perfusion and heterotopic transplantation.

Results:

Heparin was deposited throughout the matrix and the heparin content in the graft was higher with increasing number of bilayers and …