Efficient decellularization of human fetal kidneys through optimized SDS exposure

Chronic kidney disease poses a significant threat to public health. Renal replacement therapy is the primary treatment option for end-stage kidney disease. However, there is a promising and relatively new method in regenerative medicine for creating a functional organ known as whole kidney decellularization. This method uses the intrinsic vasculature to perfuse the decellularizing agent into the tissue, effectively penetrating and removing cellular material. The regenerated bioscaffolds could serve as a source of organ donation. This study is focused on evaluating the effectiveness of various SDS exposures in decellularizing human fetal kidneys. The study included human fetal kidneys harvested from fetuses terminated before 14 weeks of gestational age. Kidneys were divided into six treatment groups based on SDS concentration and duration of perfusion. Decellularization, scanning electron microscopy, histopathological staining, immunofluorescent staining, and immunohistochemistry staining were performed to evaluate the adequacy of the process. The statistical analysis revealed that the SDS 0.1% treatment group had the highest collagen deposition after 24 h, significantly greater than the SDS 0.5% treatment group at 24 and 48 h. No significant differences were observed among the other treatment groups. The study concludes that the SDS 0.1% treatment group for 24 h was the most effective in terms of ECM content preservation and effective cell removal. This treatment showed better results than the other treatment groups and can be considered for future whole kidney decellularization studies.