Vascularization and Angiogenesis in Tissue Engineering: Beyond Creating Static Networks

Jeroen Rouwkema; Ali Khademhosseini

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.03.002

Vascularization and Angiogenesis in Tissue Engineering: Beyond Creating Static Networks

Trends Biotechnol. 2016 Sep;34(9):733-745. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.03.002. Epub 2016 Mar 28.

Authors

Jeroen Rouwkema¹, Ali Khademhosseini²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02115, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02319, USA; Department of Biomechanical Engineering, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.rouwkema@utwente.nl.
² Department of Medicine, Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02115, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02319, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02155, USA; College of Animal Bioscience and Technology, Department of Bioindustrial Technologies, Konkuk University, Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-701, Republic of Korea; Department of Physics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21569, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: alik@rics.bwh.harvard.edu.

PMID: 27032730
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2016.03.002

Abstract

Engineered tissues need a vascular network to supply cells with nutrients and oxygen after implantation. A network that can connect to the vasculature of the patient after implantation can be included during in vitro culture. For optimal integration, this network needs to be highly organized, including venules, capillaries, and arterioles, to supply all of the cells with sufficient nutrients. Owing to the importance of vascularization for the clinical applicability of tissue engineering, many approaches have been investigated to include an organized vascular network in tissue constructs. This review will give an overview of recent efforts, and will propose future perspectives to engineer the optimal, functional vascular network.

Keywords: angiogenesis; microenvironment; microfabrication; tissue engineering; vascularization.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Blood Vessels* / cytology
Blood Vessels* / physiology
Cell Line
Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
Humans
Mice
Neovascularization, Physiologic / physiology*
Stem Cells
Tissue Engineering*