Fig. 1
From: Solid organ fabrication: comparison of decellularization to 3D bioprinting
Two representative regenerative medicine technologies for cardiac organogenesis. a Decellularization starts with physical, chemical, and enzymatic treatment of cadaveric heart to remove cells while keeping the extracellular matrix of the heart. Utilizing a perfusion bioreactor, the decellularized heart is repopulated with either progenitor cells or terminally differentiated cardiac cell types. The end goal of this strategy is to regenerate functional heart with complete vascularization. b Functional biomaterials (ECM proteins, ECM-analogues or synthetic materials) and/or cells (stem, progenitor or fully differentiated) serve as a bio-ink for 3D bioprinting. This controlled manufacturing technology aims to produce spatially-defined tissues or organs at multiple length scales