Triple‐Scale Endothelialized Tubular Networks via Hybrid Biofabrication for Scalable Vascular Tissue Engineering
The human vascular system is a sophisticated hierarchical network branching from large-diameter vessels to fine capillaries. Recapitulating this hierarchy remains a major biofabrication challenge, as oxygen diffusion from the nearest capillary is limited to ≈200 µm in native tissues, while current vascularized constructs struggle to maintain stable perfusion and functional multiscale architectures. To address this, a hybrid fabrication strategy is introduced that combines top-down microfabrication of tubular scaffolds via electrospinning with bottom-up bioprinting of cell-laden bioinks. This approach enables the engineering of spatially programmable endothelialized tubular networks across three scales: macrovessels (≈3 mm), mesovessels (500-2000 µm), and capillaries (10-25 µm). Electrospun macrovessels exhibit artery-like mechanical properties in longitudinal and circumferential directions. Bioprinting enables precise control over meso- and capillary-scale vessels, facilitating the hierarchical patterning of complex architectures. Integrated triple-scale endothelialized tubular networks formed interconnected, perfusable architectures comprising spatially patterned capillaries and enhanced diffusive transport by more than fivefold. Dynamic culture within endothelialized tubular networks of 5 mm thick tissue constructs supports high cell viability, rapid capillary formation, and in vivo-like endothelial phenotypes under moderate flow. This work uniquely enables scalable vascular-mimetic architectures with artery-like mechanical properties and spatially defined capillaries, representing a previously unattainable integration in angiogenesis, bioprinting, electrospinning, scaled-up tissue constructs, vascular tissue engineeringlarge-scale vascular constructs.
Authors
- Jeonghyun Son (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7588-9762)
- Hyun‐Wook Kang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5335-5604)
- Mark A. Skylar‐Scott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3496-7124)
- Dohui Kim
- Junyoung Choi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4255-4402)
- Seongsu Eom
Institutions
- Pohang University of Science and Technology (KR)
- Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology (KR)
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (United States) (US)
- Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Healthcare Materials
- Published
- 2025-12-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202503334
- Primary Topic
- 3D Printing in Biomedical Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00