[Repair and regeneration of gastrointestinal defects using a bioabsorbable polymer, focusing on repair and regeneration of biliary defects].

It is necessary to apply the technique of tissue engineering (TE) to regenerate a fairly large digestive organ. The repopulation of organ cells is possible only after the environment of a bioabsorbable polymer as a scaffold can be regulated sufficiently to regenerate the desired organ. It is essential to fix the existing organ and scaffold with precise suturing for a specific period of time to regulate the environment of the organ in the body. A surgical element is important in this procedure. We applied the TE technique to the stomach and large intestine and succeeded in partial reproduction of the small intestine and blood vessels, but the cyclic reproduction of the organ responsible for peristalsis with a sufficient quantity of muscle is difficult. On the other hand, there is little smooth muscle in the bile duct, and the bile duct can be completely regenerated in a short time. It is therefore the organ for which clinical TE applications are expected to be achieved soon. This report describes the results of a bile duct reproduction study that is paving the way for clinical applications and the possibility of regenerative medicine in the near future.