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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 March 2012
The art and science of using biological tissue grafts from animal and humansources for various ailments is nascent. Various research groups around theworld are actively investigating the potential prostheses of biologicalorigin. Biological tissue grafts are rendered acellular through variousmethods of processing and fabrication before they are used for the specificpurpose. The remainder is a scaffold that offers framework for host cellularrepopulation and revascularization. Different methods of fixation have beenexplored over several decades to render the biological grafts suitable foruse with or without extraction of cells. Therefore, methods such asglutaraldehyde and polyepoxide crosslinking treatments and dye-mediatedphotooxidation have been developed to stabilize and deantigenize the tissuewhile attempting to maintain its natural mechanical properties. Also,residual cellular components in a bioprosthetic material have beenassociated with undesired effects, such as calcification and immunologicalrecognition, and thus have been the motivation for various decellularizationprocesses. The effects of these stabilization and decellularizationtreatments on mechanical, biological and chemical properties of treatedtissues have been investigated, specifically with regard to calcification,immunogenicity, and cytotoxicity concerns. Naturally derived biologicalscaffolds offer many mechanical, chemical and biological advantages oversynthetic materials, and thus hold tremendous potential for use in tissueengineering therapies. Therefore the rationale of using biological grafts inusable forms is gaining importance in order to avoid unwanted chronicinflammatory reactions. This review article discusses the need for suchbioprosthetics and the potential role for natural tissues in variousapplications.