Towards organ printing: engineering an intra-organ branched vascular tree.
BACKGROUND
Effective vascularization of thick three-dimensional engineered tissue constructs is a problem in tissue engineering. As in native organs, a tissue-engineered intra-organ vascular tree must be comprised of a network of hierarchically branched vascular segments. Despite this requirement, current tissue-engineering efforts are still focused predominantly on engineering either large-diameter macrovessels or microvascular networks.


METHODS
We present the emerging concept of organ printing or robotic additive biofabrication of an intra-organ branched vascular tree, based on the ability of vascular tissue spheroids to undergo self-assembly.


RESULTS
The feasibility and challenges of this robotic biofabrication approach to intra-organ vascularization for tissue engineering based on organ-printing technology using self-assembling vascular tissue spheroids including clinically relevantly vascular cell sources are analyzed.


CONCLUSIONS
It is not possible to engineer 3D thick tissue or organ constructs without effective vascularization. An effective intra-organ vascular system cannot be built by the simple connection of large-diameter vessels and microvessels. Successful engineering of functional human organs suitable for surgical implantation will require concomitant engineering of a 'built in' intra-organ branched vascular system. Organ printing enables biofabrication of human organ constructs with a 'built in' intra-organ branched vascular tree.
Medical University of South Carolina, Bioprinting Research Center, Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Richard P
RP
Visconti
Vladimir
V
Kasyanov
Carmine
C
Gentile
Jing
J
Zhang
Roger R
RR
Markwald
Vladimir
V
Mironov
D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D012371:Robotics; D023822:Tissue Engineering