Production of Decellularized Tissue-Derived Materials

Many different decellularization techniques can be used to remove cells and cellular components from tissues and organs. Chemical detergents, acids, and alcohols can all be used to kill cells and destroy cell fragments. Biological reagents such as DNase are useful to remove any residual DNA present in the extracellular matrix that could promote an immune response. Physical methods such as freezing, high hydrostatic pressure, and supercritical carbon dioxide can be used to remove cells with the need for dangerous chemicals. In this chapter, the different types of decellularization methods will be summarized and the advantages and limitations of each technique highlighted. In addition, different methods to characterizing the decellularized tissues are discussed. Techniques to recellularize the decellularized matrices and to use the decellularized tissue to generate hydrogel and scaffolds for tissue engineering are summarized. Finally, several different factors that need to be considered before choosing a decellularization protocol are highlighted.