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Generation and Grafting of Tissue-engineered Vessels in a Mouse Model
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Tissue-Engineered Microvessels: A Review of Current Engineering Strategies and Applications.
Nan Zhao1, Alexander F Pessell2, Ninghao Zhu1
1Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|April 30, 2024
Summary
Tissue-engineered microvessels mimic human ones for studying diseases and drug delivery. This review covers engineering strategies, applications, and future directions in creating these vital vascular models.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Vascular Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Microvessels (arterioles, capillaries, venules) are crucial for blood flow regulation, nutrient/waste exchange, and immune surveillance.
- Dysfunction in microvessels contributes to various pathologies.
- Developing in vitro models is essential for studying endothelium-related biology and disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in engineering strategies for creating tissue-engineered human microvessel models.
- To summarize key components, culture platforms, and tissue-specific applications.
- To discuss future research directions in the field.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on tissue engineering approaches for microvessel models.
- Analysis of engineering strategies, cellular components, and culture systems.
- Examination of applications in development, disease modeling, drug screening, and vascularization.
Main Results:
- Various engineering strategies successfully recapitulate structural, cellular, and molecular features of native microvessels.
- Tissue-engineered microvessels show promise in diverse applications, including disease modeling and drug delivery.
- Significant progress has been made in developing sophisticated in vitro microvessel models.
Conclusions:
- Tissue-engineered microvessels offer powerful tools for advancing our understanding of vascular biology and pathology.
- Continued innovation in engineering and culture platforms will enhance the utility of these models.
- The field is poised for further breakthroughs in personalized medicine and regenerative therapies.
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