Extracellular Matrix-Based Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering

Extracellular matrices hold great promise as tissue engineering scaffolds because of the wealth of contained biochemical cues that aid in tissue formation and regeneration. However, there are challenges with their use in tissue engineering applications due to insufficient physicochemical properties, including mechanical and rheological properties and degradation characteristics. We have investigated the decellularization of different musculoskeletal tissues for the development of extracellular matrix-based biomaterials for diverse applications, and have examined the effects of material attributes, such as functionalization and crosslinking density, on cell behavior and tissue guidance. This presentation will review recent examples of extracellular matrix-based approaches from our laboratory for the regeneration of bone, cartilage, and skeletal muscle.