Tissue Engineering of the Microvasculature

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Therapeutic vascularization aims to revascularize ischemic tissues.
• Engineered tissues and microphysiological systems require vascularization.
• Methods must adapt to biomaterial scaffolds and microscale devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a historical overview of microvasculature engineering methods.
• To offer a framework for analyzing studies in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
• To discuss advancements in controlling microvessel formation.

Main Methods:

• Review of historical and current techniques for microvasculature engineering.
• Analysis of three complementary strategies: angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, and microfluidics.
• Examination of advancements from crude implantation to micropatterning techniques.

Main Results:

• Vascularization techniques have evolved significantly over decades.
• Micropatterning allows precise control over vessel shape and placement.
• Three distinct strategies are employed for engineering microvasculature.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding of microvasculature engineering is crucial.
• Continued innovation is needed for therapeutic vascularization and tissue engineering.
• The review provides a framework for future research in the field.