Tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach to viable small-diameter vascular grafts that may be used to treat cardiovascular diseases. One challenge in constructing such blood vessels is proper localization of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, as well as promotion of their cellular functions to generate functional tissues. Thus far, construction of small-diameter vascular substitutes with both endothelial and muscular tissues, which is essential for the grafts to acquire antithrombosis function and sufficient strength to avoid thrombus formation as well as to withstand blood pressure, has not yet been demonstrated. In this study, we engineer small-diameter blood vessel grafts containing both functional endothelial and muscular cell layers, which has been demonstrated in vivo in a living rat model. Our construction of the blood vessel grafts uses vascular-tissue-derived extracellular matrix bioinks and a reservoir-assisted triple-coaxial cell printing technique. The prematured vessel was implanted for three weeks as a graft of rat abdominal aorta in a proof-of-concept study where all implants showed great patency, intact endothelium, remodeled smooth muscle, and integration with host tissues at the end of the study. These outcomes suggest that our approach to tissue-engineered biomimetic blood vessels provides a promising route for the construction of durable small-diameter vascular grafts that may be used in future treatments of cardiovascular diseases.
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Tissue-engineering of vascular grafts containing endothelium and smooth-muscle using triple-coaxial cell printing
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December 2019
Research Article|
October 22 2019
Tissue-engineering of vascular grafts containing endothelium and smooth-muscle using triple-coaxial cell printing
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Special Collection:
3D Bioprinting: Physical and Chemical Processes
Ge Gao
;
Ge Gao
a)
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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Hyeok Kim
;
Hyeok Kim
a)
2
Department of Medical Life Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
3
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
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Byoung Soo Kim;
Byoung Soo Kim
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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Jeong Sik Kong;
Jeong Sik Kong
4
School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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Jae Yeon Lee
;
Jae Yeon Lee
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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Bong Woo Park
;
Bong Woo Park
2
Department of Medical Life Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
3
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
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Suhun Chae;
Suhun Chae
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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Jisoo Kim;
Jisoo Kim
4
School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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Kiwon Ban
;
Kiwon Ban
5
Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong
, Kowloon Tong 999077, Hong Kong
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Jinah Jang
;
Jinah Jang
6
Department of Creative IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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Hun-Jun Park
;
Hun-Jun Park
b)
2
Department of Medical Life Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
3
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
7
Cell Death Disease Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
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Dong-Woo Cho
Dong-Woo Cho
b)
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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Ge Gao
1,a)
Hyeok Kim
2,3,a)
Byoung Soo Kim
1
Jeong Sik Kong
4
Jae Yeon Lee
1
Bong Woo Park
2,3
Suhun Chae
1
Jisoo Kim
4
Kiwon Ban
5
Jinah Jang
6
Hun-Jun Park
2,3,7,b)
Dong-Woo Cho
1,b)
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
2
Department of Medical Life Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
3
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
4
School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
5
Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong
, Kowloon Tong 999077, Hong Kong
6
Department of Creative IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
, Pohang 37673, South Korea
7
Cell Death Disease Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea
, Seoul 06591, South Korea
a)
Contributions: G. Gao and H. Kim contributed equally to this work.
Note: This paper is part of the Special Topic on 3D Bioprinting: Physical and Chemical Processes.
Appl. Phys. Rev. 6, 041402 (2019)
Article history
Received:
April 09 2019
Accepted:
September 23 2019
Citation
Ge Gao, Hyeok Kim, Byoung Soo Kim, Jeong Sik Kong, Jae Yeon Lee, Bong Woo Park, Suhun Chae, Jisoo Kim, Kiwon Ban, Jinah Jang, Hun-Jun Park, Dong-Woo Cho; Tissue-engineering of vascular grafts containing endothelium and smooth-muscle using triple-coaxial cell printing. Appl. Phys. Rev. 1 December 2019; 6 (4): 041402. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5099306
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