Pump-Less Platform Enables Long-Term Recirculating Perfusion of 3D Printed Tubular Tissues.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Fluid flow critically influences vascular structure and endothelial cell function.
• Existing organ-on-a-chip systems often rely on pumps or closed channels, limiting integration with 3D bioprinting.
• This hinders the creation of complex engineered tissues with controlled microenvironments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a pumpless recirculating platform (UniPlate) for unidirectional fluid flow in 3D bioprinted tissues.
• To overcome limitations of current organ-on-a-chip systems for advanced biofabrication.
• To enable precise control over the cellular microenvironment in engineered tissues.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of UniPlate using injection molding and 3D printed sacrificial gelatin templates.
• Engineering of tubular blood vessels with unidirectional perfusion.
• Expansion of the platform for duo-recirculating flow and culturing vascularized renal proximal tubules.
• Demonstration of human monocyte recirculation in engineered blood vessels.

Main Results:

• Successful engineering of tubular blood vessels with unidirectional perfusion.
• Demonstration of functional vascularized renal proximal tubules with glucose reabsorption.
• Sustained human monocyte recirculation for over 24 hours with high cell viability and minimal inflammatory activation.
• Validation of UniPlate's capability for precise microenvironment control.

Conclusions:

• UniPlate offers a novel, pump-free solution for creating controlled microfluidic environments in 3D bioprinted tissues.
• The platform facilitates advanced tissue engineering and organ-on-a-chip applications.
• UniPlate is a valuable tool for drug discovery and studying cellular responses to flow dynamics.