Methods to generate tissue-derived constructs for regenerative medicine applications

The shortage of donor organs for transplantation remains a continued problem for patients with irreversible end-stage organ failure. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine aims to develop therapies to provide viable solutions for these patients. Use of decellularized tissue scaffolds has emerged as an attractive approach to generate tissue constructs that mimic native tissue architecture and vascular networks. The process of decellularization which involves the removal of resident cellular components from donor tissues has been successfully translated to the clinic for applications in patients. However, transplantation of bioengineered solid organs using this approach remains a challenge as the process requires repopulating target cells to achieve functioning organs. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the methods used to achieve decellularization, the types of decellularizing agents, and the potential cell sources that could be used to achieve tissue function. Understanding the mechanism of action of the decellularizing agent and the processing methods will provide the optimal results for applications.