Decellularized Tissue-Derived Materials as Advanced Bioinks

Tissue-specific decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) is a promising material for developing advanced bioink in tissue engineering. The dECM bioinks enable the retention of components of the native cell and tissue environments during 3D fabrications. The biochemical, molecular, and physical factors are preserved in the dECM bioink; these cues facilitate the enhanced cell growth, differentiation, and viabilities of encapsulated cells in the dECM bioink. Further, the printability of dECM bioink can be refined to fabricate the desired 3D structures by regulating the essential viscosity, shear-thinning, viscoelasticity, and cross-linking mechanism of dECM bioink. The qualities of the various dECM bioinks have been continuously upgraded and innovated for application in 3D cell/organoid culture systems and personalized therapeutics. This chapter highlights basic knowledge of the production of dECM biomaterials, the importance of the dECM biomaterial as a promising bioink, and its applications by discussing the biological, chemical, and physical assessments of dECM bioinks.