Synergistic, shape-controlled endothelialized spheroid-hydrogel for wound healing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Full-thickness skin defects require advanced skin substitutes for effective healing.
• Vascularized spheroids are promising building blocks for functional tissue repair constructs.
• Current spheroid biofabrication methods lack throughput, uniformity, and control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel biomanufacturing method for shape-controlled spheroid-hydrogel constructs.
• To create an integrated bioprinting platform (OBPS) for spheroid fabrication and assembly.
• To evaluate the efficacy of endothelialized spheroids in promoting wound healing in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Co-culture of human fibroblasts and umbilical vein endothelial cells to form endothelialized spheroids.
• Development of a one-stop bioprinting platform (OBPS) with real-time monitoring.
• In situ bioprinting of spheroids and hydrogels onto full-thickness skin defects in nude mice.

Main Results:

• The OBPS system successfully fabricated uniform, shape-controlled endothelialized spheroids.
• Bioprinted spheroids significantly accelerated wound closure and suppressed inflammation.
• Enhanced neovascularization, collagen remodeling, and tissue integration were observed in treated defects.

Conclusions:

• The developed synergistic spheroid-hydrogel biomanufacturing method addresses limitations in current techniques.
• The integrated OBPS platform offers a controllable and observable approach for vascularized construct fabrication.
• Shape-controlled endothelialized spheroids show significant potential as an effective treatment for wound healing.