Here are five key points:
1. ECM is a dynamic and intricate microenvironment with excellent biophysical, biomechanical and biochemical properties, which can directly or indirectly regulate cell proliferation, adhesion, migration and differentiation, as well as playing key roles in homeostasis and regeneration of tissues and organs.
2. ECM has attracted a great deal of attention with the rapid development of tissue engineering in the field of regenerative medicine.
3. Tissue-derived ECM scaffolds, also known as decellularized tissues and whole organs, are considered a promising therapy for the repair of musculoskeletal defects, including several that are widely used in orthopedics.
4. The products of cell-derived ECM have a wide range of biomedical applications, which include reagents for cell culture substrates and biomaterials for scaffolds, hybrid scaffolds and living cell sheet co-culture systems.
5. Although cell-derived ECM has only just begun to be investigated, it has great potential as a novel approach for cell-based tissue repair on orthopedic tissue engineering.
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