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Updated: May 12, 2026
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Ex Vivo Perfusion Culture of Large Blood Vessels in a 3D Printed Bioreactor
Published on: July 28, 2023
Bioreactor design for perfusion-based, highly-vascularized organ regeneration
Brent M Bijonowski1, William M Miller, Jason A Wertheim
1Master of Biotechnology Program, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL ; Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering
|April 2, 2013
Summary
Developing laboratory-grown organs requires advanced bioreactors to support complex tissue engineering. This review details current bioreactor designs for perfusion-based bioartificial organs, identifying areas for improvement in nutrient delivery and organ development.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Bioartificial organs offer solutions for organ transplantation shortages.
- Engineered tissues are advancing from planar to complex 3D solid organs.
- Vascularization is critical for nutrient supply and viability in larger engineered organs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the state-of-the-art in bioreactor development for perfusion-based bioartificial organs.
- To highlight key design components in bioreactors that require further refinement.
- To advance the field of complex organ engineering.
Main Methods:
- Perfusion decellularization to preserve the vascular matrix.
- Sterilization, cell reseeding, and organ maturation protocols.
- Bioreactor design and functional assessment in animal transplantation models.
Main Results:
- Bioreactors have advanced to support the growth of bioartificial organs.
- Transplanted bioartificial organs show sustained, albeit limited, function in animal models.
- Specific bioreactor design elements need further optimization for enhanced performance.
Conclusions:
- Bioreactor technology is crucial for engineering complex, vascularized bioartificial organs.
- Continued refinement of bioreactor design is necessary for successful clinical translation.
- Advancements in bioreactors will improve nutrient delivery and organ development for transplantation.
