Figure 1.

Schematic representation of decellularization–recellularization technology. (A) Whole organ consisting of both the cellular compartment (red shapes) and the ECM (blue network), which contains also growth factors (green dots). (B) Acellular organ, after stripping of all cells (red shapes have been cleared off). Native ECM (blue network) supposedly remains intact and preserved in all its fundamental components, growth factors (green dots) included. (C) The new organ is reconstituted with autologous cells (yellow shapes). Adapted from Orlando et al,⁷¹ with permission.