Cells in tissues are surrounded by the extracellular matrix (ECM), a gel-like material of proteins and polysaccharides that are synthesized and secreted by cells. Here we propose that the ECM can be isolated from porcine adipose tissue and holds great promise as a xenogeneic biomaterial for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Porcine adipose tissue is easily obtained in large quantities from commonly discarded food waste. Decellularization protocols have been developed for extracting an intact ECM while effectively eliminating xenogeneic epitopes and minimally disrupting the ECM composition. Porcine adipose tissue was defatted by homogenization and centrifugation. It was then decellularized via chemical (1.5 M sodium chloride and 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate) and enzymatic treatments (DNase and RNase) with temperature control. After decellularization, immunogenic components such as nucleic acids and α-Gal were significantly reduced. However, abundant ECM components, such as collagen (332.9±12.1 μg/mg ECM dry weight), sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG, 85±0.7 μg/mg ECM dry weight), and elastin (152.6±4.5 μg/mg ECM dry weight), were well preserved in the decellularized material. The biochemical and mechanical features of a decellularized ECM supported the adhesion and growth of human cells in vitro. Moreover, the decellularized ECM exhibited biocompatibility, long-term stability, and bioinductivity in vivo. The overall results suggest that the decellularized ECM derived from porcine adipose tissue could be useful as an alternative biomaterial for xenograft tissue engineering.
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