Vascularized microfluidic organ-chips for drug screening, disease models and tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Vascularization of micro-tissues is crucial for nutrient/gas exchange and waste removal, overcoming diffusion limits.
• Angiocrine signaling from vasculature is vital for replicating organ-level functions in engineered tissues.
• A functional blood-organ barrier is essential for accurate in vitro drug screening and pharmacokinetic studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in the vascularization and prevascularization of micro-tissues.
• To highlight the application of cutting-edge techniques in creating vascularized micro-tissues.
• To provide an outlook on future strategies for in vitro tissue vascularization.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on micro-tissue vascularization techniques.
• Discussion of in vitro angiogenesis and vasculogenesis methods.
• Exploration of 3D bioprinting applications for tissue vascularization.

Main Results:

• Vascularization allows for the creation of larger micro-tissues beyond diffusion limits.
• Engineered vasculature supports organ-level functions through angiocrine signaling.
• In vitro vascular networks are essential for mimicking in vivo drug delivery pharmacokinetics.

Conclusions:

• Vascularization is a critical step towards engineering functional, organ-scale tissues in vitro.
• 3D bioprinting and other advanced techniques offer promising avenues for vascularizing diverse micro-tissues.
• Further research into vascularization strategies will enhance the utility of micro-tissues in drug discovery and regenerative medicine.