Processed Tissue–Derived Extracellular Matrices: Tailored Platforms Empowering Diverse Therapeutic Applications

Abstract Tissue‐derived decellularized extracellular matrices (dECM) have gradually become the gold standard of scaffolds for tissue engineering, owing to their close mirroring of the intricate composition, architecture, and topology of the native extracellular matrix (ECM). Intriguingly, further manipulation of these acellular tissues through various processing techniques has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy to control their characteristics and impart them with ample valuable new traits, thereby expanding their applicability to a significantly wider spectrum of research and translational applications. Herein, state‐of‐the‐art processed dECM platforms and their potential applications are focused on. The ECM characteristics that make it so appealing for tissue engineering are presented, followed by a concise discussion on the main considerations for choosing a dECM source for such applications. The key methodologies for dECM processing, including hydrogel production, bioprinting, electrospinning, and production of porous scaffolds, microcarriers, and microcapsules, as well as their inherent advantages and challenges, are introduced. To demonstrate the use of processed dECM platforms for tissue engineering, selected in vivo and in vitro applications recently developed utilizing these platforms are highlighted. Finally, concluding remarks and a prospective outlook for future developments and improvements in the field of processed dECM‐based devices are given.