Vascularized Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

根据器官获取和移植网络（OPTN）最近编写的一份年度报告，在欧洲，目前约有6万人在等待移植。组织工程作为再生医学的一部分，是一个新兴的多学科研究领域，旨在减少对器官捐赠的需求，并克服与移植相关的问题。为了挽救生命，在组织工程领域进行了大量投资，这对于全球老龄化人口的医疗保健可能变得越来越重要。生物医学支架作为组织再生的支撑材料，在应用基础上要求其具有一定的孔隙度，同时具有足够的机械完整性，以确保临床成功。特别是，骨支架需要具有增强的机械和物理性能，以适合作为骨移植。血液供应不足会限制骨骼自我修复大量缺陷的能力。另一方面，支架中的大孔不能形成营养和氧气传播和运输所必需的通道结构。研究表明，毛细孔可以阻碍初级脉管系统的生长，甚至阻碍内部新生骨组织的生长。因此，骨组织工程领域最大的挑战之一是支架的血管化。在**提出的研究中，我们希望以一种创新的方式通过3D（生物）打印预血管化支架来应对这一挑战** **

According to a recent annual report prepared by Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), in Europe, around 60,000 people are currently waiting for transplant. Tissue engineering as a part of a broader field called **Regenerative Medicine**, is an emerging multidisciplinary research area aimed to **reduce the need for organ donation** and overcome the problems associated with transplantation. In order to save lives, there is significant investment in the area of tissue engineering, which could become increasingly important for the healthcare of aging populations worldwide.Biomedical scaffolds used as a support for tissue regeneration require a certain degree of porosity while possessing adequate mechanical integrity based on their application to ensure clinical success. In particular, bone scaffolds need to possess enhanced mechanical and physical properties to be suitable as bone grafts. Deficiencies in blood supply can limit the bone's ability for self-repair of massive defects. On the other hand, macropores in the scaffolds cannot form channel structure essential for spread and transport of nutrition and oxygen. It has been shown that the pores can block the growth of rudimentary vasculature and even the interior new bone tissues. Hence, one of the **biggest challenges in the field of bone tissue engineering is vascularization of scaffolds**. In the **proposed research, we would like to attack this challenge** **by 3D (bio)printing of pre-vascularized scaffolds in an innovative way.**