PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Christian G. Cornelissen
AU  - Sonja Engwicht
AU  - Nicole Finocchiaro
AU  - Stefan Jockenhoevel
TI  - ENDOXY - Gas transfer of endothelialized oxygenator membranes
DP  - 2014 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P258
VI  - 44
IP  - Suppl 58
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P258.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P258.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Sep 01; 44
AB  - Introduction:Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can replace the lungs' gas exchange capacity. Its limited hemocompatibility, the activation of coagulation and inflammation and protein deposition hamper long-term use. In a Tissue Engineering approach, lining the blood contact surfaces of the ECMO device with endothelial cells might overcome these limitations. In this study gas transfer properties of endothelialized oxygenator membranes was investigated as a further step towards a biohybrid lung assist device (ENDOXY).Methods:Poly-Methyl-Pentene (PMP) is widely used in oxygenators applied for ECMO. Subsequent to the immobilisation of GRGDS peptides on their surface, PMP membranes were coated with ovine endothelial cells. Cell coated membranes were shear stress conditioned in a custom designed oxygenator test system. Gas transfer was measured in a standard oxygenator test procedure.Results:Cells seeded on gas permeable membranes grew to confluence, showed characteristic endothelial morphology and aligned with shear stress without observable cell detachment.Gas transfer through uncoated oxygenator membranes was within the expected range. Endothelial cell coating significantly lowered gas transfer by 22%.Conclusion: For the first time, this study demonstrates the influence of endothelial cell coating on gas transfer of oxygenator membranes, which is crucial for the successful development of a biohybrid lung assist device.