Mechanisms by which acellular biologic scaffolds promote functional skeletal muscle restoration
Stephen F Badylak1, Jenna L Dziki2, Brian M Sicari3
1McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Abstract:
Acellular biologic scaffolds derived from extracellular matrix have been investigated in preclinical and clinical studies as a regenerative medicine approach for volumetric muscle loss treatment. The present manuscript provides a review of previous studies supporting the use of extracellular matrix derived biologic scaffolds for the promotion of functional skeletal muscle tissue formation that is contractile and innervated. The manuscript also identifies key mechanisms that have been associated with ECM-mediated skeletal muscle repair, and provides hypotheses as to why there have been variable outcomes, ranging from successful to unsatisfactory, associated with ECM bioscaffold implantation in the skeletal muscle injury microenvironment.
