Fibrin scaffolds for angiogenesis in soft tissue models: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Fibrin is a biocompatible and angiogenic biomaterial crucial for soft tissue engineering.
• Scaffold formulation and design significantly impact the success of fibrin-based therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review how fibrin scaffold composition and design influence angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo soft tissue models.
• To identify key parameters affecting endothelial cell behavior within fibrin scaffolds.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and OVID databases.
• Screening of 81 original studies by three independent researchers.
• Narrative synthesis of data on scaffold composition, design, cell embedding, and angiogenic outcomes.
• Assessment of risk of bias and study quality using established tools.

Main Results:

• Human-derived fibrinogen and pre-embedding cells consistently promoted successful angiogenic outcomes.
• Endothelial tube and network formation generally aligned, but migration patterns varied.
• Thrombin addition was often beneficial, while crosslinker effects were less conclusive.
• Muscle-specific studies predominantly utilized hydrogels and incorporated non-endothelial cells.

Conclusions:

• Fibrin scaffolds are vital for soft tissue engineering, with formulation and cell embedding being critical factors.
• Variability in experimental design and reporting standards impede reproducibility and clinical translation.
• A minimum information checklist and aggregated success rates are proposed to guide future research and scaffold design.