Decellularization of Human Lip

Introduction: Perioral tissue loss commonly requires surgical reconstruction. Autologous tissue transfer result in poor functional and aesthetic outcomes and allogenous transplantation of tissue requires lifelong immunosuppression. There is a clinical need for a cell scaffold, which could be seeded with the patients own cells to create an immunogenically inert perioral tissue replacement. Decellularized human lip may provide the answer. Methodology: To the authors knowledge this was the first time human lip has been decellularized. Four existing protocols shown to be successful at removing cells from either muscle or dermis were used to decellularize human lip in an attempt to identify an optimal protocol. Results: Three of the four protocols proved to be successful at achieving decellularization of the lip, as histological investigation of these samples showed complete loss of cellular structures for the entire construct. A non-detergent based protocol using osmotic shock and enzymatic processes best preserved the extracellular matrix. It was able to maintain the micro-architecture of collagen and elastin, and retain important signaling molecules such as glycosaminoglycans. Conclusion: This decellularized scaffold developed here may be the first step towards an exciting new treatment for perioral tissue loss.