Porous decellularized trachea scaffold prepared by a laser micropore technique

Rapid development of tissue engineering technology provides new methods for tracheal cartilage regeneration. However, the current lack of an ideal scaffold makes engineering of trachea cartilage tissue into a three-dimensional (3-D) tubular structure a great challenge. Although a decellularized trachea matrix (DTM) has become a recognized scaffold for trachea cartilage regeneration, it is difficult for cells to detach from or penetrate the matrix because of its non-porous structure. To tackle these problems, a laser micropore technique (LMT) was applied in the current study to enhance trachea sample porosity, and facilitate decellularizing treatment and cell ingrowth. Furthermore, after optimizing LMT and decellularizing treatment parameters, LMT-treated DTM (LDTM) retained its natural tubular structure with only minor extracellular matrix damage. Moreover, compared with DTM, the current study showed that LDTM significantly improved the adherence rate of cells with perfect cell biocompatibility. Moreover, the optimal implantation cell density for chondrogenesis with LDTM was determined to be 1 × 10⁸ cells/ml. Collectively, the results suggest that the novel LDTM is an ideal scaffold for trachea tissue engineering.