Tissue engineering: harvesting pericardial cells from human pericardium

Tissue engineering challenges include fabricating biocompatible implants from materials that are readily available. In addition to creating functional implants, they should be durable and tissue compatible. To help prevent rejection, autologous cells would be preferred, although they are not always available commercially. During heart surgery, portions of the pericardium are frequently excised and discarded. Therefore, this excised tissue could be a potential source for primary cells. This project investigated harvesting pericardial cells from human pericardium for soft tissue applications.