
Nanoengineering professor Shaochen Chen 3D prints a biomimetic blood vessel network. Photos by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications
Nanoengineers 3D print lifelike, functional blood vessel network that could pave the way toward artificial organs and regenerative therapies
In the past decade, engineers at the University of California San Diego have 3D printed a variety of devices ranging from rocket engines, to robots, to structures inspired by the seahorse’s tail. Now, nanoengineers have added a new item to that list: a 3D printed biomimetic blood vessel network.
The new research, led by nanoengineering professor Shaochen Chen, addresses one of the biggest challenges in tissue engineering: creating lifelike tissues and organs with functioning vasculature — networks of blood vessels that can transport blood, nutrients, waste and other biological materials — and do so safely when implanted inside the body.
Researchers from other labs have used different 3D printing technologies to create artificial blood vessels. But existing technologies are slow, costly and mainly produce simple structures, such as a single blood vessel — a tube, basically. These blood vessels also are not capable of integrating with the body’s own vascular system.
“Almost all tissues and organs need blood vessels to survive and work properly. This is a big bottleneck in making organ transplants, which are in high demand but in short supply,” said Chen, who leads the Nanobiomaterials, Bioprinting, and Tissue Engineering Lab at UC San Diego. “3D bioprinting organs can help bridge this gap, and our lab has taken a big step toward that goal.”
![]() |
Digital model of a blood vessel network |
Chen’s lab has 3D printed a vasculature network that can safely integrate with the body’s own network to circulate blood. These blood vessels branch out into many series of smaller vessels, similar to the blood vessel structures found in the body.
Chen’s team developed an innovative bioprinting technology, using their own homemade 3D printers, to rapidly produce intricate 3D microstructures that mimic the sophisticated designs and functions of biological tissues. Chen’s lab has used this technology in the past to create liver tissue and microscopic fish that can swim in the body to detect and remove toxins.
Researchers first create a 3D model of the biological structure on a computer. The computer then transfers 2D snapshots of the model to millions of microscopic-sized mirrors, which are each digitally controlled to project patterns of UV light in the form of these snapshots. The UV patterns are shined onto a solution containing live cells and light-sensitive polymers that solidify upon exposure to UV light. The structure is rapidly printed one layer at a time, in a continuous fashion, creating a 3D solid polymer scaffold encapsulating live cells that will grow and become biological tissue.
“We can directly print detailed microvasculature structures in extremely high resolution. Other 3D printing technologies produce the equivalent of ‘pixelated’ structures in comparison and usually require sacrificial materials and additional steps to create the vessels,” said Wei Zhu, a postdoctoral scholar in Chen’s lab and a lead researcher on the project.
And this entire process takes just a few seconds — a vast improvement over competing bioprinting methods, which normally take hours just to print simple structures. The process also uses materials that are inexpensive and biocompatible.
Chen’s team used medical imaging to create a digital pattern of a blood vessel network found in the body. Using their technology, they printed a structure containing endothelial cells, which are cells that form the inner lining of blood vessels.
![]() |
Microscopic 3D printed blood vessel structure |
The entire structure fits onto a small area measuring 4 millimeters × 5 millimeters, 600 micrometers thick (as thick as a stack containing 12 strands of human hair).
Reearchers cultured several structures in vitro for one day, then grafted the resulting tissues into skin wounds of mice. After two weeks, the researchers examined the implants and found that they had successfully grown into and merged with the host blood vessel network, allowing blood to circulate normally.
Chen noted that the implanted blood vessels are not yet capable of other functions, such as transporting nutrients and waste. “We still have a lot of work to do to improve these materials. This is a promising step toward the future of tissue regeneration and repair,” he said.
Moving forward, Chen and his team are working on building patient-specific tissues using human induced pluripotent stem cells, which would prevent transplants from being attacked by a patient’s immune system. And since these cells are derived from a patient’s skin cells, researchers won’t need to extract any cells from inside the body to build new tissue. The team’s ultimate goal is to move their work to clinical trials. “It will take at least several years before we reach that goal,” Chen said.
Learn more: How 3D printing could save lives
[osd_subscribe categories=’tissue-engineering’ placeholder=’Email Address’ button_text=’Subscribe Now for any new posts on the topic “TISSUE ENGINEERING”‘]
Receive an email update when we add a new TISSUE ENGINEERING article.
The Latest on: Tissue engineering
[google_news title=”” keyword=”tissue engineering” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Tissue engineering
- Tissue Engineered Skin Substitute Market is expected to reach US$ 4.13 Billion by 2029on February 3, 2023 at 12:10 pm
According to Future Market Insights (FMI), the global Tissue Engineered Skin Substitute Market was valued at US$ 2.01 billion in 2021 and is predicted to reach US$ 4.13 billion by 2029. Increasing ...
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers recognizes UTSA’s Rena Bizios for lifetime achievementon February 3, 2023 at 11:37 am
Rena Bizios, Lutcher Brown Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering at UTSA, was honored by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), a leading, global organization for chemical engineering ...
- UCSD researchers develop injectable biomaterial for tissue healingon February 3, 2023 at 11:37 am
Researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) developed a new biomaterial that promotes cell and tissue repair.
- Andreadis and Feltri are named AAAS Fellowson February 2, 2023 at 9:50 am
is an internationally recognized leader in the field of stem cell engineering, especially cardiovascular tissue engineering. His pioneering work has led to engineering tissues for regenerative ...
- Tissue Engineering Market size 2023 Industry Transpose aspects, New Technologies with CAGR of 18.5% and opportunities and Forecast to 2028on February 2, 2023 at 12:14 am
With industry-standard accuracy in analysis and high data integrity, the report makes a brilliant attempt to unveil key opportunities available in the global Tissue Engineering market to help players ...
- Biomaterial can be injected intravenously and has potential application in heart attacks, traumatic brain injuryon January 30, 2023 at 1:43 pm
A new biomaterial, which can be injected intravenously, reduces inflammation in tissue and promotes cell and tissue repair. The biomaterial was tested and proven effective in treating tissue damage ...
- New biomaterial allows for treating damaged tissue from the inside outon January 29, 2023 at 3:59 pm
"While the majority of work in this study involved the heart, the possibilities of treating other difficult-to-access organs and tissues can open up the field of biomaterials/tissue engineering ...
- This groundbreaking biomaterial heals tissues from the inside outon January 29, 2023 at 3:59 pm
A new biomaterial that can be injected intravenously, reduces inflammation in tissue and promotes cell and tissue repair. The biomaterial was tested and proven effective in treating tissue damage ...
- ESSENT BIOLOGICS LAUNCHES REVOLUTIONARY HUMAN NATIVE TISSUE-DERIVED TYPE I COLLAGENon January 24, 2023 at 8:56 am
Essent Biologics™, a leading supplier of human-derived cell and scaffold materials, today announced availability of its Human Native Tissue-Derived Type I Atelocollagen for the cell and tissue ...
via Bing News