Decellularized Tissue-Derived Materials as Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine open doors to develop and customize targeted therapeutics to promote repair. By leveraging expertise in cell biology, biomaterial preparation, and molecular pathways of tissue repair, biologic constructs can be developed with specific bioinductive and structural properties for regeneration and reconstruction. The extracellular matrix (ECM) represents the acellular component of biological tissue that provides physical structure, mechanical stability, and signaling cues to resident cells to achieve specific biological functions. ECM from available tissue sources can provide a hospitable and dynamic microenvironment that can be augmented through chemical and cellular means to develop targeted tissue-engineered therapies. Herein, we outline key concepts of the use of ECM in tissue engineering, with focus on relevant ECM components, decellularization strategies, physical preparations, tissue fixation, and cellular versus acellular strategies. We also provide preclinical and clinical examples of tissue-engineered ECM strategies in the context of cardiac tissue repair.