A facile approach for engineering tissue constructs with vessel-like channels by cell-laden hydrogel fibers

Abstract

Vascularization is of great importance in the successful translation of tissue engineered constructs into clinically relevant application. The lack of a general approach to rapidly construct vascular networks in engineered constructs remains a major challenge. Herein, an adhesive hydrogel-based tissue construct, in which cell-affinitive domains and interconnected channels were concurrently constructed, was put forward to enhance vascularization. Hydrogel matrix was modified with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide to supply cell adhesion sites. Collagen fibers were added into the hydrogel matrix to produce interconnected vessel-like channels via enzyme mediated degradation. In a bone-like model, the successful outspread morphology and intensive function expression of osteo-like cells and the formation of endothelial cells-lined channels were observed, suggesting it's flexible to functionalize extracellular matrix with vessel-like channels via the introduction of endothelial cells-laden fibers. Our approach furnishes a particular strategy to build vascular architecture and is especially attractive in the bioengineering of rich vascularized tissues.