3D bioprinting for the production of cell-laden vascularized constructs

To address the characteristic limitations of the two-dimensional model, recent research has shifted the focus from 2D to three-dimensional (3D) structures capable of recreating a more realistic biomechanical and biochemical environment. Despite the advantages represented by three-dimensional cultures, some challenges remain evident involving construct thickness, microenvironment mechanics, and spatiotemporal distribution of oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic wastes. The thicker the construct, in fact, the more difficult it will be for the cells to receive the nutrients necessary for their proper functioning. Hence the need to create a vasculature in the construct. The purpose of this paper is, in fact, to create a three-dimensional model of vascularized tumor tissue, focusing particularly on the in vitro fabrication, through the use of sacrificial 3D bioprinting, of a perfusible endothelialized channel.