title: Engineering a 3D vascular network in hydrogel for mimicking a nephron.
abstract: Engineering functional vascular networks in vitro is critical for tissue engineering and a variety of applications. There is still a general lack of straightforward approaches for recapitulating specific structures and functions of vasculature. This report describes a microfluidic method that utilizes fibrillogenesis of collagen and a liquid mold to engineer three-dimensional vascular networks in hydrogel. The well-controlled vascular network demonstrates both mechanical stability for perfusing solutions and biocompatibility for cell adhesion and coverage. This technique enables the mimicry of passive diffusion in a nephron one of the main routes transferring soluble organic molecules. This approach could be used for in vitro modelling of mass transfer-involved physiology in vasculature-rich tissues and organs for regeneration and drug screening.
authors: CAS Key Lab for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, 11 Beiyitiao, ZhongGuanCun, Beijing 100190, PR China.
authors: Xuan
authors: X
authors: Mu
authors: Wenfu
authors: W
authors: Zheng
authors: Le
authors: L
authors: Xiao
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Zhang
authors: Xingyu
authors: X
authors: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D004058:Diffusion; D004285:Dogs; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D061985:Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009399:Nephrons / Q000378:metabolism; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D003094:Collagen