Acellular Dermal Matrix from Different Ages for Tissue Engineering Scaffold: Aged Prior to Young

Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) scaffolds have been used in a series of tissue engineered products. However, due to the undesirable recellularization and vascularization, the use of ADM has been frequently linked to significant complications. In the present study, we prepared ADM from different ages and examined the in vitro biological behavior and in vivo recellularization and vascularization. We compared the porosity of the ADM made from young and aged skin and found that aged ADM was more loose and porous than the young, the pore size was also more appropriate. The in vitro coculture test of ADM and fibroblast showed that cells extended into the inside of ADM from the dermis surface and aged ADM was more able to support cell migration than the young. In a subcutaneously transplantation, aged ADM exhibited advantage over young ADM in cell penetration depth of fibroblast, the inflammation reaction was also milder than the young. Moreover, immunofluorescence staining of vimentin and CD31 showed that aged ADM recellularized rapidly by vimentin and CD31 positive cells, the extent of cell penetration and capillary regeneration in old group was higher than the young. Overall, this study highlights that aged ADM is more porous, the recellularization, revascularization and immunogenicity properties are superior to the young, it may be a more favorable tissue engineering scaffold than the young.