Recent Advances in Decellularization and Recellularization for Tissue-Engineered Liver Grafts

Liver transplantation from deceased or living human donors remains the only proven option for patients with end-stage liver disease. However, the shortage of donor organs is a significant clinical concern that has led to the pursuit of tissue-engineered liver grafts generated from decellularized liver extracellular matrix and functional cells. Investigative efforts on optimizing both liver decellularization and recellularization protocols have been made in recent decades. In the current review, we briefly summarize these advances, including the generation of high-quality liver extracellular matrix scaffolds, evaluation criteria for quality control, modification of matrix for enhanced properties, and reseeding strategies. These efforts to optimize the methods of decellularization and recellularization lay the groundwork towards generating a transplantable, human-sized liver graft for the treatment of patients with severe liver disease.