The Role of Progenitor Cells in Extracellular Matrix Scaffold Remodeling

Extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds derived from various species and tissue sources have been investigated for use in the field of regenerative medicine, and many are routinely used in clinical practice. The host response to the ECM scaffold depends on both the origin of the source tissue and the processing steps utilized to prepare the scaffold for use. For a subset of ECM scaffolds, the host response has been characterized as constructive remodeling, which has been defined as the deposition of site-appropriate tissue at the site of scaffold placement with concomitant resorption of the scaffold. The timing of the resorption of the scaffold is an important determinant of whether constructive remodeling can occur, as the host response to the wound milieu is different when the scaffold is being enzymatically degraded as opposed to being integrated. The host response associated with constructive remodeling includes the presence of an M2 macrophage response and the presence of local and circulating progenitor cells. The talk will summarize the data available on this topic.