Structural characteristics of small intestinal submucosa constructs dictate in vivo incorporation and angiogenic response.

The rate of angiogenesis and cellular infiltration into degradable biomaterials determines scaffold persistence in vivo. The ability to tune the degradation properties of naturally derived biomaterials has been a popular goal in tissue engineering, yet has often depended on chemical crosslinking. Small intestinal submucosa (SIS) is a naturally derived, collagen-based, bioactive scaffold that has broad clinical success in many therapeutic applications.