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Acceleration of vascular sprouting from fabricated perfusable vascular-like structures
Tatsuya Osaki1, Takahiro Kakegawa1, Tatsuto Kageyama2
1Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan; Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Japan.
Plos One
|April 11, 2015
Summary
Researchers developed a novel method for fabricating vascular networks using electrochemical cell transfer. Combining phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and shear stress significantly accelerated the formation of perfusable vascular structures for tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Fabricating vascular networks is crucial for engineering 3D tissues and organs.
- Existing methods for vascularization can be slow and result in unstable structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a rapid method for fabricating perfusable vascular-like structures.
- To accelerate endothelial cell migration and vascular network formation using chemical and mechanical stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Electrochemical transfer of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to collagen gel using an oligopeptide-coated gold surface.
- Application of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and fluidic shear stress to promote vascularization.
Main Results:
- Electrochemical transfer successfully formed endothelial cell-lined vascular-like structures.
- PMA and shear stress synergistically accelerated HUVEC migration, network formation, and stabilization.
- Vascular networks sprouted within 3 days and bridged within 5 days, a significant improvement over previous methods.
Conclusions:
- This approach offers a strategy for the rapid fabrication of perfusable microvascular networks.
- The combined use of electrochemical cell transfer, PMA, and shear stress shows promise for tissue engineering applications.
- Further studies are needed to confirm the functional aspects of the engineered vascular networks.
