Vitro micro-organs, and uses related thereto

A method for producing a micro-organ explant expressing at least one recombinant gene product, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) isolating from an animal a portion of an organ including a population of cells, the portion of the organ maintaining a microarchitecture and a three dimensional structure of an organ from which it is obtained and at the same time having dimensions selected so as to allow diffusion of adequate nutrients and gases to cells in the micro-organ explant and diffusion of cellular waste out of the micro-organ explant so as to minimize cellular toxicity and concomitant death due to insufficient nutrition and accumulation of the waste in the portion of the organ;
• and
• (b) genetically modifying at least some of the cells of said population of cells of the portion of the organ with a recombinant gene to express at least one recombinant gene product.

A method for producing a micro-organ explant expressing at least one recombinant gene product, the method comprising the step of isolating from a transgenic animal a portion of an organ including a population of cells, the portion of the organ maintaining a microarchitecture and a three dimensional structure of an organ from which it is obtained and at the same time having dimensions selected so as to allow diffusion of adequate nutrients and gases to cells in the micro-organ explant and diffusion of cellular waste out of the micro-organ explant so as to minimize cellular toxicity and concomitant death due to insufficient nutrition and accumulation of the waste in the portion of the organ, at least some of the cells of said population of cells of the portion of the organ expressing at least one recombinant gene product.

A medical device comprising a polymeric device encapsulating a genetically modified micro-organ explant expressing at least one recombinant gene product, the micro-organ explant comprising a population of cells, the micro-organ explant maintaining a microarchitecture and a three dimensional structure of an organ from which it is obtained and at the same time having dimensions selected so as to allow diffusion of adequate nutrients and gases to cells in the micro-organ explant and diffusion of cellular waste out of the micro-organ explant so as to minimize cellular toxicity and concomitant death due to insufficient nutrition and accumulation of the waste in the micro-organ explant, at least some of the cells of said population of cells of the micro-organ explant expressing at least one recombinant gene product.