3D‐printing of Stem Cells and Stromal Cells to Prime for Vascularization and Regeneration

Abstract

Implanted engineered constructs intended for regenerating tissues face the immediate challenge of recruiting a microvasculature for the delivery of oxygen and nutrients, the trafficking of immune cells, and the regulation of interstitial fluid. The microcirculation is a hierarchical network of interconnected vessels that achieves this diverse range of functionality through its different components: arterioles, capillaries, and venules. The lumenized and branched structure of the microcirculation requires proper positioning of different cell types ‐‐ endothelial cells with an abluminal coating of pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells ‐‐ and the establishment of a basement membrane between them. Spatially and temporally‐regulated molecular cues drive the cell‐to‐cell interactions that coordinate the assembly of these complex networks. Our lab combines computational modeling with 3D‐bioprinting to understand how microvessels assemble in vivo and to design and pattern them in vitro. We identified a sub‐population of cells in the stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue that is capable of supporting capillaries and neo‐capillaries, much like native pericytes. We have developed techniques to exploit their use in murine models of diabetes, where angiogenesis is dysregulated and wound healing is delayed. Applications of our approach also include skeletal muscle regeneration and pancreatic islet re‐implantation.Support or Funding InformationUniversity of Virginia Center for Advanced Biomanufacturing University of Virginia School of Medicine Pinn Scholars