Wang Ying, Kankala Ranjith Kumar, Ou Caiwen, Chen Aizheng, Yang Zhilu
Affiliated Dongguan Hospital, Southern Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523059, PR China.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Shock and Microcirculation, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, PR China.
Bioact Mater. 2021 Jul 10;9:198-220. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.07.005. eCollection 2022 Mar.
The construction of biomimetic vasculatures within the artificial tissue models or organs is highly required for conveying nutrients, oxygen, and waste products, for improving the survival of engineered tissues . In recent times, the remarkable progress in utilizing hydrogels and understanding vascular biology have enabled the creation of three-dimensional (3D) tissues and organs composed of highly complex vascular systems. In this review, we give an emphasis on the utilization of hydrogels and their advantages in the vascularization of tissues. Initially, the significance of vascular elements and the regeneration mechanisms of vascularization, including angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, are briefly introduced. Further, we highlight the importance and advantages of hydrogels as artificial microenvironments in fabricating vascularized tissues or organs, in terms of tunable physical properties, high similarity in physiological environments, and alternative shaping mechanisms, among others. Furthermore, we discuss the utilization of such hydrogels-based vascularized tissues in various applications, including tissue regeneration, drug screening, and organ-on-chips. Finally, we put forward the key challenges, including multifunctionalities of hydrogels, selection of suitable cell phenotype, sophisticated engineering techniques, and clinical translation behind the development of the tissues with complex vasculatures towards their future development.
在人工组织模型或器官内构建仿生脉管系统对于输送营养物质、氧气和代谢废物、提高工程组织的存活率至关重要。近年来，水凝胶的应用和血管生物学研究取得的显著进展使得构建由高度复杂的血管系统组成的三维（3D）组织和器官成为可能。在本综述中，我们重点介绍水凝胶的应用及其在组织血管化方面的优势。首先，简要介绍血管成分的重要性以及血管化的再生机制，包括血管生成和血管发生。此外，我们强调水凝胶作为人工微环境在构建血管化组织或器官方面的重要性和优势，包括可调节的物理性质、与生理环境的高度相似性以及多种成型机制等。此外，我们还讨论了这种基于水凝胶的血管化组织在各种应用中的用途，包括组织再生、药物筛选和芯片器官。最后，我们提出了关键挑战，包括水凝胶的多功能性、合适细胞表型的选择、复杂的工程技术以及具有复杂脉管系统的组织向未来发展的临床转化。
