Ragauskas Tomas, Uzieliene Ilona, Bernotiene Eiva
Department of Regenerative Medicine, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Santariskiu Str. 5, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Faculty of Fundamental Sciences, VilniusTech, Sauletekio Av. 11, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania.
J Funct Biomater. 2025 Jul 31;16(8):279. doi: 10.3390/jfb16080279.
Scaffolds are widely used in bioengineering, both as 3D native tissue-mimicking models for investigating mechanisms under physiological and pathological conditions and also as implantable agents in regenerative medicine. Histological approaches, mainly formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and frozen sample sectioning, are commonly applied to evaluate cell distribution and tissue-like properties of scaffolds. However, standard histological processing is not always compatible with the materials that scaffolds are made of. Thus, some adaptations to protocols are required to obtain intact sections. In this review we discuss challenges related to the histological processing of scaffolds and solutions to overcome them. We sequentially cover processing steps of the three main histological techniques for sample preparation-cryomicrotomy, FFPE samples microtomy and vibrating microtomy. Furthermore, we highlight the critical considerations in choosing the most appropriate method based on scaffold composition, mechanical properties and the specific research question. The goal of this review is to provide practical guidance on choosing reliable histological evaluation of complex scaffold-based systems in tissue engineering research.
支架在生物工程中被广泛应用，既作为三维天然组织模拟模型用于研究生理和病理条件下的机制，也作为再生医学中的可植入剂。组织学方法，主要是福尔马林固定石蜡包埋（FFPE）和冷冻样本切片，常用于评估支架的细胞分布和组织样特性。然而，标准的组织学处理并不总是与支架所使用的材料兼容。因此，需要对方案进行一些调整以获得完整的切片。在本综述中，我们讨论了与支架组织学处理相关的挑战以及克服这些挑战的解决方案。我们依次介绍了样本制备的三种主要组织学技术——冷冻切片术、FFPE样本切片术和振动切片术的处理步骤。此外，我们强调了根据支架组成、机械性能和具体研究问题选择最合适方法时的关键考虑因素。本综述的目的是为组织工程研究中选择对基于复杂支架的系统进行可靠的组织学评估提供实用指导。
