Acellular porcine heart matrices: whole organ decellularization with 3D-bioscaffold & vascular preservation

Regenerative medicine, particularly decellularization-recellularization methods via whole-organ tissue engineering, has been increasingly studied due to the growing donor organ shortage. Though numerous decellularization protocols exist, the ideal decellularization protocol for optimal recellularization is unclear. This study was performed to optimize existing heart decellularization protocols and compare current methods using the detergents SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate), Triton X-100, OGP (octyl β-D-glucopyranoside), and CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl) dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate) through retrograde aortic perfusion via aortic cannulation of a whole porcine heart. The goal of decellularization is to preserve extracellular matrix integrity and architecture, which was analyzed in this study through histology, microscopy, DNA analysis, hydroxyproline content analysis, materials analysis and angiography. Effective decellularization was determined by analyzing the tissue organization, geometry, and biological properties of the resultant extracellular matrix scaffold. Using these parameters, optimal decellularization was achieved between 90 and 120 mmHg pressure with 3% SDS as a detergent. Relevance for patients: This study provides important information about whole heart decellularization, which will ultimately contribute to heart bioengineering.