STUDY DESIGN: Acellular spinal cord was prepared through chemical extraction, and its biocompatibility was studied. OBJECTIVE: Acellular scaffolds have been developed from various materials for tissue reconstruction, except for spinal cord. The objective of this study was to prepare acellular spinal cord and examine the biocompatibility of the scaffold. SETTING: This study was conducted at the Department of Orthopedics, Xinqiao Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China. METHODS: The morphology of the acellular segments was revealed by scanning electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and hematoxylin and eosin stain. Biocompatibility was studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Results show that in spinal cord scaffolds, cells, myelin sheath and axon of nerve fibers were eliminated, and three-dimensional supports of extracellular matrix were reserved. The component analytical results of the acellular spinal cord indicate that they contain laminin, fibronectin and collagen, which can facilitate and induce the regeneration of injured nerves, and enhance the adhesion and proliferation of cells. The acellular spinal cord has a three-dimensional structure and excellent biocompatibility. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that acellular spinal cord has certain biological properties and it may be a potential alternative scaffold for spinal cord tissue engineering.
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