Multimodal effects of an extracellular matrix on cellular morphology, dynamics and functionality.

Articular cartilage defects can lead to pain and even disability in patients and have significant socioeconomic loss. Repairing articular cartilage defects remains a long-term challenge in medicine owing to the limited ability of cartilage to regenerate. At present, the treatment methods adopted in clinical practice have many limitations, thereby necessitating the rapid development of biomaterials. Among them, decellularized biomaterials have been particularly prominent, with numerous breakthroughs in research progress and translational applications. Although many studies show that decellularized cartilage biomaterials promote tissue regeneration, any differences in cellular morphology, dynamics, and functionality among various biomaterials upon comparison have not been reported. In this study, we prepared cartilage-derived extracellular matrix (cdECM) biomaterials with different bioactive contents and various physical properties to compare their effects on the morphology, dynamics and functionality of chondrocytes. This cellular multimodal analysis of the characteristics of cdECM biomaterials provided a theoretical basis for understanding the interactions between biomaterials and cells, thus laying an experimental foundation for the translation and application of decellularized cartilage biomaterials in the treatment of cartilage defects.

Progress in developing decellularized bioscaffolds for enhancing skin construction.

The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and skin defects are very common. Skin flap transplantation is the best treatment for serious wound defects, and donor site tissues are always sacrificed during this process. Decellularized biomaterials, derived mainly from various nonautologous organs and tissues, have promising applications in tissue engineering and repair of wound defects. To date, decellularized mesothelium, intestine, amniotic membrane, dermis, and skin flaps have been developed and applied for skin coverage in animal models and clinical practice. In this review, we discuss recent advances in decellularized biomaterials for skin substitutes and future perspectives. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 1849-1859, 2019.

Decellularized scaffolds in regenerative medicine.

Allogeneic organ transplantation remains the ultimate solution for end-stage organ failure. Yet, the clinical application is limited by the shortage of donor organs and the need for lifelong immunosuppression, highlighting the importance of developing effective therapeutic strategies. In the field of regenerative medicine, various regenerative technologies have lately been developed using various biomaterials to address these limitations. Decellularized scaffolds, derived mainly from various non-autologous organs, have been proved a regenerative capability in vivo and in vitro and become an emerging treatment approach. However, this regenerative capability varies between scaffolds as a result of the diversity of anatomical structure and cellular composition of organs used for decellularization. Herein, recent advances in scaffolds based on organ regeneration in vivo and in vitro are highlighted along with aspects where further investigations and analyses are needed.