Generation of Organs Based on Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds

To date, organ transplantation is the only known definitive therapeutic strategy for patients who suffer from organ failure. One of the biggest problems in today’s medicine is the lack of donated organs. Therefore, needs to develop the alternative strategies seem urgent. These challenges led the researchers to use the synthetic or natural materials to generate new organs as an alternative source for transplantation. Therefore, organ regeneration lightened up a new way to treat injured organs or tissues. Nowadays, due to the outstanding progress and innovation in the field of tissue engineering and three-dimensional bioprinting, bioengineering has been a promising strategy to construct the alternative organs that replace injured organs. Though there are still many challenges especially for regeneration of complex organ (e.g., heart, lungs, kidney, liver, and pancreas) that need to be addressed, generation of transplantable organs holds promise for organ replacement and remains of great interest for scientists in the field of regenerative medicine. In this chapter, we will discuss the commonly used strategies for generation of organs based on reproduction of cell-free extracellular matrix scaffolds, consider some of the successful reports of the regenerated organs using this strategy, and finally we take a look at the current limitations and obstacles in the field.