Table 2.
Advantages and disadvantages of decellularization methods.
| Methods | Advantages | Disadvantages | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical methods | Freeze-thaw cycling | Simple operation low demand for equipment. Cryoprotectant usage can minimize ECM disruption. |
Require more treatments to get rid of the contents of the cells. Ice crystals' disruption of the ECM microstructure. |
[99,[144], [145], [146]] |
| Perfusion | Maximizing the delivery of decellularization deep inside the organ improves decellularization efficiency. | Stringent tissue requirements need for blood vessels. Perfusion is more complex and requires additional hardware and sophisticated flow control equipment. |
[[117], [118], [119],[123], [124], [125], [126]] | |
| Immersion and agitation | The process is simple. Proteins of ECM can be well preserved. |
Need the right mixing strength and time-consuming long. | [119,[129], [130], [131],147] | |
| SCCO2 | Significantly reduce the decellularization time and improve disinfection compared to other methods. | Rapid decompression is necessary. Not widely used. |
[71] | |
| HHP | Eliminating the need for further sterilization. Processes |
Make it challenging for solutions to enter the ECM because of the constant high pressure. | [105,[148], [149], [150], [151], [152]] | |
| Chemical methods | Ionic and non-ionic detergents | Versatile and suitable for a wide range of tissues. | Reduction of active ingredients in ECM Some toxicity |
[105,134] |
| Acids and bases | Cheap and less time-consuming | Damage to the ECM architecture, affecting the contents of the ECM. | [[153], [154], [155]] | |
| Hypertonic and hypotonic solutions | Hypertonic solutions can remove proteins, whereas hypotonic solutions can remove nuclei and DNA. | Unable to completely eliminate cellular residues. | [98,140] | |
| Enzymes | Protease | Less time-consuming | Difficult to intern adequate decellularization. Affecting the contents of the ECM. Not suitable for sensitive tissues |
[141,156] |
| Lipase | Help the process of decellularization by first eliminating the epithelium and endothelium. | Hard to remove all lipids | [[156], [157], [158]] | |
| Ribonucleases (Dnase, RNase) | Effective removal of DNA levels from dECM | Easily residual, difficult to completely eliminate reagents Influencing the structure of ECM |
[127,159,160] | |
| Induction of apoptosis | Intrinsic pathway | The structure and function of dECM remains almost unchanged. | Apoptotic pathways are very complex and not yet fully understood. Not widely used. |
[12] |
| The external pathway | ||||
Abbreviations: ECM: mExtracellular Matrix. dECM: decellularized extracellular matrix. SCCO2:supercritical CO2.