Breaking the vascular barrier in artificial tissue
Engineered human tissue has long held promise as a bridge between cell culture and human trials. A central challenge has been providing a reliable blood supply within three-dimensional tissues, where cells far from surfaces can quickly become oxygen and nutrient starved. A new study from Binghamton University’s Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science offers a practical path forward: nanoscale engineering of artificial vasculature that can be integrated into tissue scaffolds to improve perfusion.
In a paper published in Biomedical Materials, Assistant Professors Ying Wang and Yingge Zhou outline a method that combines nanomanufacturing and biomaterials to create microtubes capable of routing fluids through engineered tissue. These microtubes, measured at 1 to 10 microns, serve as primitive yet functional vascular channels that assist with nutrient and oxygen delivery to cells embedded in a hydrogel matrix.
How the microtubes are made
The team fabricated the microtubes from two inert, widely used biomedical polymers: polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polystyrene (PS). They relied on electrospinning, a technique that uses a strong electric field to form ultra-fine fibers, to create solid microtubes at a scale that traditional 3D printers cannot reach. After forming the solid cores, researchers dissolved them to leave hollow channels and then used ultrasonic vibration to shorten and disperse the tubes within the tissue scaffold.
“The microtubes being 1 to 10 microns make them compatible with capillary-like flow while remaining feasible to integrate into a hydrogel medium used for tissue culture,” explains Zhou, who has also worked on microscopic 3D scaffolds in prior research. This hybrid approach bridges fabrication limits and the need for interconnected channels that mimic the body’s own vasculature.
Evidence of improved perfusion
To monitor blood flow within the engineered tissues, the researchers embedded fluorescent microbeads and tracked how effectively the microtubes distributed nutrients and oxygen. The results showed a clear improvement in blood distribution, translating to better cell survival and function across the construct. This vascular enhancement is crucial for scaling tissue models from centimeter-sized samples to more organ-like dimensions.
Looking ahead: tuning size, shape, and organ specificity
The team envisions tailoring microtube dimensions and geometries to suit different tissues. By regulating microtube size, they aim to control lumen formation and flow characteristics, enabling customization for specific organ needs. In addition, the researchers plan to explore organ-specific microvasculature, such as networks that approximate the blood-brain barrier, which is pivotal for studying brain physiology, tumor progression, and neurodegenerative diseases.
“We want to bring the physiological relevance of engineered tissues closer to our own bodies,” Wang states. The long-term goal is ambitious: constructing multi-organ living systems based on human cells that behave like real anatomy, not just isolated tissues.
Implications for biomedical research and beyond
Better vascular networks in vitro could accelerate the testing of new therapies and reduce reliance on animal models. They also open doors to more accurate disease models and personalized tissue constructs for regenerative medicine and drug screening. By integrating nanomanufacturing with biomaterials science, this approach offers a scalable path to larger, metabolically active tissues that can better predict human responses in clinical settings.
Conclusion
The synergy of electrospinning-based microtubes with a supportive hydrogel matrix marks a significant step toward physiologically relevant engineered tissues. As the Binghamton team refines tube dimensions and explores organ-specific vasculature, the prospect of assembling multi-organ human tissue systems from living cells becomes ever more attainable. This nanomanufacturing-driven vascular strategy could soon move from the lab to broader applications in regenerative medicine, accelerating discoveries and therapies that rely on viable, perfused tissue models.
