Certain embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to modified
agarose polysaccharides for various uses, such as for
extracellular matrices, tissue fillers, regenerative implants,
tissue scaffolds, wound dressings, or other applications, including biomedical applications. In some aspects, a modified
agarose polysaccharide having certain secondary structures, such as a 0-
sheet structure, may be reacted with an
enzyme such as an
agarase, e.g., to reduce its molecular weight or
shear modulus, or degrade it, etc. This may be useful, for example, in certain
in vivo applications where the modified
agarose polysaccharide has been applied to a subject, and it is desired to alter the modified agarose
polysaccharide in such a fashion. For example, an agarose implanted into a subject as a tissue filler may be altered by applying an
agarase to the
implant, which may allow the
implant to be altered, reshaped, removed from the subject, etc. Other aspects as discussed herein are generally directed to methods of making or using such altered agaroses, other reactions involving such agarases (e.g.,
in vitro or
in vivo), kits involving such altered agaroses, or the like.