3D bioprinting of vascular conduits for pediatric congenital heart repairs

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Congenital heart defects in children necessitate surgical correction using grafts, patches, or conduits.
• Pediatric cardiovascular anatomy varies, requiring tailored surgical approaches and precisely designed grafts sensitive to hemodynamic environments.
• Tissue engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) show promise but fabricating patient- and operation-specific grafts remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review historical milestones and clinical outcomes of TEVG development for pediatric congenital defect repair.
• To highlight advancements in 3D bioprinting of TEVGs with complex geometries.
• To address current limitations in TEVG fabrication and future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Review of historical development and clinical outcomes of TEVGs in pediatric surgery.
• Analysis of current research on 3D bioprinting techniques for TEVG fabrication.
• Discussion of challenges and limitations associated with TEVG technologies.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made in TEVG development over the past decade.
• 3D bioprinting offers potential for creating TEVGs with complex, patient-specific geometries.
• Current 3D bioprinted vascular grafts lack appropriate functions, but research is promising.

Conclusions:

• Developing functional, patient-specific TEVGs for pediatric congenital heart defect repair is an ongoing challenge.
• 3D bioprinting represents a promising avenue for future TEVG innovation.
• Continued research is essential to overcome limitations and achieve successful clinical application of TEVGs.