Research project

One of the greatest challenges in the cultivation of artificial, angiogenic 3D printed tissue is the optimal supply of the cells with gases and nutrients, as these can diffuse no more than 200 µm deep into tissue. In vivo, the transport of nutrients to the cells takes place via vascular systems, which arise through vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Such vascular systems can be generated in three-dimensional, artificial tissues by stimulating the angiogenic behavior of human endothelial cells embedded in the hydrogel with certain factors. The aim of my work is to apply this type of vascularization to 3D printed tissue by printing the endothelial cells in co-culture with an organ specific cell type with the bioprinter and induce angiogenesis by adding the factors. Through this I want to create a vascularized, 3D printed tissue.