Kim Jae-Seok, Nam Hyoryung, Kim Eun Chae, Jeong Hun-Jin, Lee Seung-Jae
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Wonkwang University, 460 Iksandae-ro, Iksan 54538, Republic of Korea.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Daegu Catholic University, 33 Duryugongwon-ro 17-gil, Nam-gu, Daegu 42472, Republic of Korea.
Bioengineering (Basel). 2025 Apr 30;12(5):479. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering12050479.
Esophageal cancer (EC) is the eighth leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, largely due to its late-stage diagnosis and aggressive progression. Esophagectomy remains the primary treatment, typically requiring organ-based reconstruction techniques such as gastric pull-up or colonic interposition. However, these reconstruction methods often lead to severe complications, significantly reducing the quality of life of patients. To address these limitations, tissue engineering has emerged as a promising alternative, offering bioengineered patch-type and tubular-type scaffolds designed to restore both structural integrity and functional regeneration. Recent advancements in three-dimensional (3D) biofabrication-including 3D bioprinting, electrospinning, and other cutting-edge techniques-have facilitated the development of patient-specific constructs with improved biocompatibility. Despite significant advancements, critical challenges persist in achieving mechanical durability, multilayered cellular organization, and physiological resilience post-transplantation. Ongoing research continues to address these limitations and enhance clinical applicability. Therefore, this review aims to examine recent advancements in esophageal tissue engineering, with a focus on key biofabrication techniques, preclinical animal models, and the major translational challenges that must be addressed for successful clinical application.
食管癌（EC）是全球第八大致癌死亡原因，主要归因于其晚期诊断和侵袭性进展。食管切除术仍然是主要治疗方法，通常需要基于器官的重建技术，如胃上提术或结肠间置术。然而，这些重建方法常常导致严重并发症，显著降低患者的生活质量。为解决这些局限性，组织工程学已成为一种有前景的替代方法，提供旨在恢复结构完整性和功能再生的生物工程贴片型和管状支架。三维（3D）生物制造的最新进展——包括3D生物打印、静电纺丝和其他前沿技术——促进了具有改善生物相容性的患者特异性构建体的开发。尽管取得了重大进展，但在实现机械耐久性、多层细胞组织和移植后的生理恢复力方面，关键挑战依然存在。正在进行的研究继续解决这些局限性并提高临床适用性。因此，本综述旨在探讨食管组织工程学的最新进展，重点关注关键生物制造技术、临床前动物模型以及成功临床应用必须解决的主要转化挑战。
