Over 90% of global organ transplant demands go unmet due to donor shortages. While 3D bioprinting promises lab-grown organs, existing vascular network design methods require weeks of trial-and-error – a critical barrier this research dismantles.
Led by Professor Alison Marsden, the team created an algorithm based on mathematical laws describing how blood vessels branch in human bodies. The model automatically generates optimized vascular architectures for any organ shape in minutes, as demonstrated by designing a 25-vessel network for a 1cm-wide 3D-printed kidney cell ring.
Printing: Cold gelatin microparticles formed the vascular network within the ring.
Activation: Heating to 37°C melted gelatin, leaving 1mm-wide hollow channels.
Perfusion: Oxygen/nutrient-rich fluid was pumped through channels to simulate blood flow.
Result: After one week, cell survival near vessels was 400 times higher than in non-vascularized rings submerged in nutrient fluid.
Current Limit: Distant cells die without finer capillaries (unprintable with current tech).
Marsden's Statement: "We keep cells alive adjacent to vessels, but nutrient delivery to remote areas remains unsolved."
Independent View: Hugues Talbot (Paris-Saclay University) calls this "pushing the boundaries of possibility" and notes it could reduce full-organ vascular design from weeks to hours.
Short-term: Develop methods to print networks in larger organs.
Mid-term: Aim for pig trials of vascularized 3D-printed organs within 5 years.
Long-term Vision: Talbot suggests such networks may "supplement or replace lab-grown organs."