Tissue engineering of perfused microvessels.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Vascular Biology
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• A major challenge in creating larger 3D tissues is the absence of a vascular network for essential transport.
• Existing methods for in vitro microvasculature often rely on host vessels or pre-existing voids, limiting their application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of creating perfusable microvessels in vitro for integration into artificial tissues.
• To develop a novel method for generating artificial vascular structures that support nutrient and oxygen delivery.

Main Methods:

• Nylon lines were placed in perfusion chambers and seeded with vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs).
• Cells formed concentric layers around the nylon lines, creating vessel-like structures.
• After nylon extraction, the artificial vessels were connected to a perfusion system and cultured medium was supplied.

Main Results:

• Vascular smooth muscle cells multiplied to form layers approximately 100-150 microm thick over 28 days.
• The artificial microvessels sustained continuous perfusion with culture medium for 7 days without failure.
• The developed method successfully created stable, artificial microvessels.

Conclusions:

• Artificial microvessels can be successfully fabricated in vitro using vascular smooth muscle cells seeded onto removable scaffolds.
• These engineered vessels demonstrate sustained perfusion, indicating their potential utility in tissue engineering applications.
• The created microvessels may also serve as valuable models for vascular research.