Binghamton University Researchers Pioneer Nanomanufacturing for Functional Artificial Blood Vessels
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A new breakthrough in tissue engineering promises too overcome a critical hurdle in developing viable artificial organs: replicating the complex vascular networks necessary for cell survival. Researchers at Binghamton University have developed a novel method using nanomanufacturing techniques to create artificial blood vessels within engineered tissues, potentially revolutionizing pre-clinical testing and, ultimately, organ transplantation.
The challenge has long been ensuring adequate blood supply to engineered tissues. Without a functioning vascular system, cells within these structures quickly die, limiting their size and functionality. “The cells need blood circulation to survive, and achieving that can be arduous in three-dimensional cell structures,” explained a lead researcher. “without proper vascular systems – even primitive ones – engineered tissue faces restricted size and functionality, even developing necrotic regions of dead cells.”
Published recently in the journal Biomedical Materials, the research details a process for creating microscopic tubes that mimic the body’s natural vasculature. Assistant Professors Ying Wang and Yingge Zhou spearheaded the project, alongside doctoral students Xianyang Li, Sadia Khan, and Yan Chen; Liyuan Wang ’23; and postdoctoral researcher xiang Fang.
Mimicking Nature’s Hierarchy
The human vascular system is not a simple network, but a complex hierarchy of vessels ranging from large arteries and veins to microscopic capillaries. The Binghamton team’s approach reflects this complexity. “Our vascular system has different hierarchies,” explained Wang, a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical engineering. “We can 3D print the larger ones, and for the smaller ones we rely on spontaneous self-assembly to organize them. though, we are trying to engineer some biomaterials to be able to regulate the size, to make it bigger or smaller, so we can fabricate different types of vasculature.”
Electrospinning and Microtube Creation
To create the crucial microvasculature, the team turned to electrospinning, a technique that uses an electric field to create ultra-fine fibers. They utilized two biocompatible materials – polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polystyrene (PS) – to construct microtubes measuring just 1 to 10 microns in diameter (for context, a human hair is 70-100 microns). “It’s hard for the 3D printer to print with that kind of resolution, so we used electrospinning to make solid microtubes,” said Zhou, from the School of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering. “Then we dissolved the cores to make them hollow tubes and used ultrasonic vibration to break them down, so they were not too long. We wanted them to be shorter and disperse within the engineered tissue.”
These fibrous tubes were then integrated into a composite hydrogel, the medium in which the tissue grows. Researchers used fluorescent microbeads to track blood flow, confirming that the microtubes considerably improved nutrient and oxygen delivery to the cells, enhancing their viability.
Future Directions and Organ-Specific Applications
The team is now focused on refining the technology, investigating how the size and shape of the microtubes impact vascular outcomes. They also aim to develop organ-specific microvasculature, including replicating the intricate blood-brain barrier – a critical structure that protects the brain and presents a major challenge in treating neurological diseases.
“We want to bring the physiological relevance of these engineered tissues closer to our own bodies,” Wang stated. “If we perfect this technology,we can assemble not only a single organ but multiple organs as a living system based on human cells.” This advancement could dramatically accelerate the growth of new therapies and potentially eliminate the need for organ donors in the future.
Source: Li, X., et al. (2025). Engineering polystyrene microtube-embedded composite hydrogels for tunable vascular morphogenesis. Biomedical Materials. doi.org/10.1088/1748-605x/adebd0
