About this Research Topic
Vascular tissue engineering (VTE) can be characterized as the creation of replacement vessels. Over the past 30 years, approaches have incorporated different combinations of extracellular matrix scaffolds, cells and biological active chemical cues. Challenged by the goal to recapitulate the complexity of big or small vessels, the clinical use of in vitro tissue engineered vessel replacements is still limited. With research more often focusing on reductionist materials science or cell biology characterization of vessel-like constructs, an opportunity has emerged to re-apply engineering approaches to guide the next step in VTE.
The objective of this Research Topic issue is to highlight the impact of “engineering” in advancing the design of VTE strategies. The challenge of integrating cells, scaffolds, and chemical cues into a functional vessel or network of vessels provokes the need to revisit design requirements, the potential role of computational modeling, the opportunity for new manufacturing technologies such as three-dimensional bioprinting, and the application of engineering fundamentals outside the traditional material science or cell biology tool boxes. By providing examples that define the leading approaches of VTE, critical questions and opportunities for guiding future therapy development will be identified.
Submissions are encouraged to highlight:
1) Design requirements for tissue engineering large vessels or the microvasculature.
2) The application of computational modeling in guiding vascular tissue engineering design.
3) The application of emerging manufacturing technologies such as three-dimensional bioprinting.
4) Other related themes.
Articles types including original research, methods, and reviews are all welcome. Original research reports can be on either basic science or clinical studies.
Keywords: Vascular Tissue Engineering, modeling, bioprinting, artery, microvascular, Society affiliation RT
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.