The Past, Present, and Future of Tubular Melt Electrowritten Constructs to Mimic Small Diameter Blood Vessels – A Stable Process?

• Published in: Advanced healthcare materials 2024-07, Vol.13 (19), p.e2400426-n/a
• Main Authors: Bartolf‐Kopp, Michael, Jungst, Tomasz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biocompatibility; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; biofabrication; biomimicry; Blood Vessel Prosthesis; Blood vessels; Blood Vessels - physiology; Cellular manufacture; Cellular structure; Continuous fiber composites; Fibers; Humans; Manufacturing; mechanical analysis; Mechanical properties; melt electrowriting; Production methods; Tissue Engineering - methods; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry; tissue‐engineered vascular grafts
• ISSN: 2192-2640; 2192-2659; 2192-2659
• DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400426

Melt Electrowriting (MEW) is a continuously growing manufacturing platform. Its advantage is the consistent production of micro‐ to nanometer fibers, that stack intricately, forming complex geometrical shapes. MEW allows tuning of the mechanical properties of constructs via the geometry of deposited fibers. Due to this, MEW can create complex mechanics only seen in multi‐material compounds and serve as guiding structures for cellular alignment. The advantage of MEW is also shown in combination with other biotechnological manufacturing methods to create multilayered constructs that increase mechanical approximation to native tissues, biocompatibility, and cellular response. These features make MEW constructs a perfect candidate for small‐diameter vascular graft structures. Recently, studies have presented fascinating results in this regard, but is this truly the direction that tubular MEW will follow or are there also other options on the horizon? This perspective will explore the origins and developments of tubular MEW and present its growing importance in the field of artificial small‐diameter vascular grafts with mechanical modulation and improved biomimicry and the impact of it in convergence with other manufacturing methods and how future technologies like AI may influence its progress. This perspective covers the advancements in the field of tubular, melt electrowritten constructs for use as small‐diameter vascular grafts. It presents how this technology can recreate the mechanical properties of native vessels as well as providing a hierarchical scaffold to mimic the blood vessel physiology by converging with other manufacturing technologies, and how novel fields like artificial intelligence can contribute.