Decellularized extracellular matrix-based composite scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Abstract

Despite the considerable advancements in fabricating polymeric-based scaffolds for tissue engineering, the clinical transformation of these scaffolds remained a big challenge because of the difficulty of simulating native organs/tissues' microenvironment. As a kind of natural tissue-derived biomaterials, decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM)-based scaffolds have gained attention due to their unique biomimetic properties, providing a specific microenvironment suitable for promoting cell proliferation, migration, attachment, and regulating differentiation. The medical applications of dECM-based scaffolds have addressed critical challenges, including poor mechanical strength and insufficient stability. For promoting the reconstruction of damaged tissues or organs, different types of dECM-based composite platforms have been designed to mimic tissue microenvironment, including by integrating with natural polymer or/and syntenic polymer or adding bioactive factors. In this review, we summarized the research progress of dECM-based composite scaffolds in regenerative medicine, highlighting the critical challenges and future perspectives related to the medical application of these composite materials.

Constructing Tumor Organoid-like Tissue for Reliable Drug Screening Using Liver-Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds

“…Notably, unlike synthetic materials, the ECM is rich in proteoglycans, collagens, laminins, glycosaminoglycans, and other bioactive components that play pivotal roles in regulating cellular functions, such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, cell survival, and drug resistance. , Consequently, ECM scaffold-based biomaterials have found widespread applications in tissue repair and regeneration, encompassing areas like bone, the central nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. − The combination of dECM with natural or synthetic polymers, along with the addition of bioactive factors, has been employed to develop composite platforms for simulating tissue microenvironments. This approach finds extensive applications in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine . Saleh et al enhanced the activity of the decellularized hepatic scaffold by coupling the homogenized liver extracellular matrix onto it .…”

“…This approach finds extensive applications in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. 20 Saleh et al enhanced the activity of the decellularized hepatic scaffold by coupling the homogenized liver extracellular matrix onto it. 21 This modification resulted in superior cell proliferation, improved cell diffusion, and enhanced vascular generation capabilities.…”

Investigation of anti-adhesion ability of 8-arm PEGNHS-modified porcine pericardium

“…Decellularized pericardium, especially when prepared using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), has been reported to preserve the extracellular matrix structure. Decellularized tissue exhibits favorable biocompatibility and induces a minimal immune response [23][24][25][26]. In recent research, we introduced the use of the pericardium as the primary material for anti-adhesion applications in heart surgery, achieved by transforming its surface properties from adhesive to anti-adhesive [27][28][29].…”

Recent advances in fabrication of dECM-based composite materials for skin tissue engineering

“…Fortunately, researchers have developed various decellularization methods to obtained decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM), including physical methods (freeze-thaw cycling and pressurization), chemical methods (bases and acids, detergents), and enzymes mediated biological methods ( Golebiowska et al, 2024 ). During the decellularization process, the immunogenic cellular components of native tissue are removed, whereas the extracellular biomacromolecules and other tissue-specific bioactive molecules in extracellular matrix (ECM) are mostly preserved ( Chen et al, 2023a ; Xu et al, 2023 ). dECM could accelerate the wound healing process and enhance tissue repair by multiple cellular processes, including in motivating cell growth and proliferation, promoting re-epithelization and angiogenesis, and inhibiting inflammation ( Wang et al, 2021 ).…”