A Novel Protocol to Generate Decellularized Bovine Spinal Cord Extracellular Matrix-Based Scaffolds (3D-dCBS)

This paper introduces a new method for creating a 3D scaffold from the extracellular matrix of a bovine spinal cord. This scaffold can be used for nerve tissue engineering, with the aim of repairing damage to the nervous system. The process involves preparing a gel from the spinal cord ECM, molding it into a desired shape, chemically crosslinking it, and then removing the cells. The decellularization process uses SDS to remove cells while preserving the ECM structure. The key advantage of this method is that it preserves more of the ECM compared to other decellularization techniques. This is important because the ECM provides structural and biochemical cues that can support tissue regeneration.

• 1
  The protocol effectively removes approximately 94.47% of nuclear material from the native bovine spinal cord.
• 2
  The resulting decellularized scaffold (3D-dCBS) has a dsDNA content of 28.80 ± 0.20 ng/mg dry weight, which is below the recommended threshold for optimal decellularization.
• 3
  The method allows for constructing a 3D biomatrix from decellularized BSC with desired geometry, potentially supporting deformed nerve tissue through recellularization.