Fabrication a Natural 3D-scaffold by Mixing Collagen and Decellularized Mouse Liver Extracellular Matrix for Tissue Engineering

Objective: Liver transplantation is the traditional method for patients who suffer from liver failure. Due to the lack of donor organs, bioengineered liver produced from whole liver decellularized scaffold can be a potential applicable method. The aim of this study was to fabricate and characterize a natural 3D-scaffold by mixing collagen scaffold and decellularized mouse liver extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue engineering. Methods and Materials: After washing and removing the blood from the livers completely, they were shaken at room tempreture at 200 rpm on an orbital shaker in deionized water (DW) for 30 min and then shaked in 1% SLES at 200 rpm for about 16-18 h. Thereafter, they were washed in 1% triton and followed by DW for several times. The livers were lyophilized and mixed with collagen. All the scaffolds were evaluated by scanning electron microscope and H&E staining. Scaffold porosity was also determined and cell viability was checked by MTT assay. Results: The data showed that since SLES led to losing nuclear material, it prevented the degradation of the liver’s ECM ultrastructure. DNA and cell debris clearance were verified. Although cells survived on the decellularized liver scaffold, their growth rate was slower than when mixed with collagen. Conclusion: Combining collagen with decellularized liver ECM provides a biologically relevant microenvironment that closely mimics native tissue chemistry and protect cell survival.