Decellularization Strategies for Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Diseases and Other Severe Problems Within the Body: From Processing Techniques to Applications

Transplantation is the only option for end-stage organ failure patients. Cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmia and myocardial infarction (MI) cannot be cured or regenerated due to the limited innate repair capacity of the heart. Few patients benefit from transplantation due to organ shortages and long donor waiting lists. For this reason, researchers develop alternative solutions today. In particular, decellularization studies have provided promising perspectives over the past decade. Decellularized tissues/organs are readily available, cost-effective alternatives to human donor sources, and can be obtained easily from autografts or allografts. The success of decellularized tissue varies depending on the type of tissue and the method used for decellularization. The purpose of decellularization is the removal of all cellular components from an organ while simultaneously preserving the micro and macro structure of the extracellular matrix. Recellularization enables us to utilize naturally available and tailor-made bioscaffolds as patient-specific treatments, eliminating the requirement for immunosuppression.