Tissue-Derived Decellularized Materials for Biomedical Applications

Decellularized tissue-derived materials – i.e., biomaterials derived from organs or tissues deprived of their potentially immunogenic cellular components – offer an attractive option for the generation of realistic in vitro tissue and disease models and regenerative therapies. A plethora of decellularization protocols and processing methods make such materials available from numerous tissues and in various formats. This chapter provides an overview of the different forms of tissue-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) materials for biomedical applications, focusing on innovative dECM-based hydrogels. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the challenges and perspectives of dECM materials concerning standardization and control of physicochemical properties for directing tissue repair and function.