Bridging scales: Advances in multi-scale vasculature bioprinting for tissue engineering
Three-dimensional (3D) Bioprinting has emerged as a groundbreaking approach for fabricating living tissues and organ analogues with spatial and structural fidelity. By integrating biomaterials, living cells, and bioactive molecules through computer-aided design (CAD), bioprinting allows for the construction of biologically relevant architectures that closely mimic native tissue organization. Despite significant progress, one of the most formidable barriers to the clinical translation of engineered tissues remains the challenge of vascularization. The successful integration of engineered constructs in vivo critically depends on the formation of functional vascularization. The human vascular system is a highly organized, multiscale network, comprising a variety of blood vessels, each with distinct morphological and physiological roles. Reproducing the multiscale architecture of the vascular system, from large arteries to microscopic capillaries, is therefore fundamental to the development of functional tissue and organ replacements. This review highlights the central role of vascularization in tissue engineering, discussing current strategies, emerging technologies, and future directions aimed at replicating the intricate multiscale vasculature necessary for the functional and morphological fidelity of engineered tissues.
