OBJECTIVETo develop a novel method for preparing decellularized liver biological scaffold (DLBS) for liver tissue engineering.

METHODSDLBS was prepared by treatment of rat livers with detergent and enzymatic cell extraction and observed under optical and scanning electron microscopes. To assess the biocompatibility of the product, C3A cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells (BM-MSCs) were cocultured with DLBS as the scaffold, and the effect of DLBS on the proliferation of C3A cells was evaluated by MTT assay. DLBS was also implanted under the dorsal skin of SD rats to evaluate the tissue biocompatibility of this material.

RESULTSApplication of the detergent and enzymatic extraction allowed full extraction of the cells in the liver, leaving an extracellular matrix scaffold composed mainly of collagen and elastic fibrin. The coculture experiment showed that C3A cells and BM-MSCs could grow on and adhere to DLBS. The result of MTT assay showed that DLBS could promote the proliferation of C3A cells.

CONCLUSIONThis cell-free DLBS, which retains intact extracellular matrix and promotes cell attachment, proliferation, growth and differentiation, can be an ideal biological matrix scaffold material.