Decellularized extracellular matrix: a step towards the next generation source for bioink manufacturing

In tissue engineering, the need for hierarchical assembly of three-dimensional (3D) tissues has become increasingly important, considering that new technology is essential for advanced tissue fabrication. 3D cell printing has emerged as a powerful technology to recapitulate the microenvironment of native tissue, allowing for the precise deposition of multiple cells onto the pre-defined position. Parallel to these technological advances, the search for an appropriate bioink that can provide a suitable microenvironment supporting cellular activities has been in the spotlight. In this respect, the decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) becomes a popular candidate as a well-qualified source of bioink because of its capability to inherit the intrinsic cues from a native ECM. Yet, few studies have been reported and its potential has been partially understood in the field of 3D cell printing. In this review, our focus is on a dECM as a prospective bioink to facilitate 3D cell printing-based tissue engineering. We begin this review with a brief description of the important role of the ECM. Next, the representative methods of decellularization and conventional applications of a dECM are introduced, followed by the recent achievements in dECM bioinks and their future directions.