Decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) has great clinical applicability, owing to its abundant source material, natural extracellular matrix microenvironment, and nonimmunogenic attributes, rendering it a versatile resource in the realm of tissue engineering. However, practical implementations are confronted with multifarious limitations. Among these, the selection of an appropriate gelation strategy serves as the foundation for adapting to diverse clinical contexts. The cross-linking strategies under varying physical or chemical conditions exert profound influences on the ultimate morphology and therapeutic efficacy of DAT. This review sums up the processes of DAT decellularization and subsequent gelation, with a specific emphasis on the diverse gelation strategies employed in recent experimental applications of DAT. The review expounds upon methodologies, underlying principles, and clinical implications of different gelation strategies, aiming to offer insights and inspiration for the application of DAT in tissue engineering and advance research for tissue engineering scaffold development.
Impact Statement
The clinical applicability of DAT is substantial due to its ability to mimic the natural tissue environment while avoiding immune rejection. Despite its potential, the practical use of DAT faces numerous challenges, primarily in selecting suitable gelation strategies for different clinical applications. This review (1) places a special focus on the diverse gelation strategies recently employed in experimental applications of DAT, (2) provides an in-depth analysis of various cross-linking strategies under different physical and chemical conditions, (3) methodically examines the process of DAT decellularization and the subsequent gelation phase and introduces innovative perspectives on the selection and optimization of these strategies, and (4) contributes to offer a comprehensive understanding of how these conditions affect DAT’s structure and efficacy in therapeutic applications.
Level of Evidence: IV.
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