MACS and acellular autologous non-ovarian tissue scaffolds: a promising strategy for safe and efficient follicle transplantation in hematologic cancer.

BACKGROUND

Advances in ovarian tissue cryopreservation offer new hope for young hematologic cancer patients. However, the risk of cancer cell reintroduction during transplantation remains a major concern, necessitating both effective tumor cell removal strategies and biocompatible scaffold development.

METHODS

We characterized decellularized adipose, peritoneal, and ovarian tissue scaffolds through H&E staining, immunofluorescence, SEM, and proliferation assays. Magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) efficiency was evaluated for reducing hematologic malignancy contamination. Follicle function was assessed via immunofluorescence and ELISA, while RNA-seq and qPCR compared gene expression across scaffolds.

RESULTS

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) decellularization effectively preserved extracellular matrix architecture across all tissues. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced leukocytosis models, MACS significantly reduced leukocyte contamination (p < 0.0001). Comparable follicle growth and hormone production (estrogen/progesterone/inhibin) were observed across scaffolds. RNA-seq analysis identified subtle differential expression in a small subset of follicle function-related genes, while the majority of genes exhibited conserved expression patterns across scaffolds.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrate that MACS effectively prevents tumor cell transmission during follicle transplantation. All decellularized scaffolds exhibited high follicular biocompatibility in this animal model, with non-ovarian scaffolds emerging as promising autologous alternatives for artificial ovary engineering.