Thermoforming for Small Feature Replication in Melt Electrowritten Membranes to Model Kidney Proximal Tubule.

A novel approach merging melt electrowriting (MEW) with matched die thermoforming to achieve scaffolds with micron-sized curvatures (200 - 800 µm versus 1000 µm of mandrel printing) for in vitro modeling of the kidney proximal tubule (PT) is proposed. Recent advances in this field emphasize the relevance of accurately replicating the intricate tissue microenvironment, particularly the curvature of the nephrons' tubular segments. While MEW offers promising capabilities for fabricating highly and porous precise 3D structures mimicking the PT, challenges persist in approximating the diameter of tubular scaffolds to match the actual PT.