Facilitated self-assembly of a prevascularized dermal/epidermal collagen scaffold.

Resurfacing complex full thickness wounds requires free tissue transfer which creates donor site morbidity. We describe a method to fabricate a skin flap equivalent with a hierarchical microvascular network. We fabricated a flap of skin-like tissue containing a hierarchical vascular network by sacrificing Pluronic F127 macrofibers and interwoven microfibers within collagen encapsulating human pericytes and fibroblasts.

Fabrication of capillary-like structures with Pluronic F127® and Kerria lacca resin (shellac) in biocompatible tissue-engineered constructs.

The fabrication of large cellular tissue-engineered constructs is currently limited by an inability to manufacture internal vasculature that can be anastomosed to the host circulatory system. Creation of synthetic tissues with microvascular networks that adequately mimic the size and density of in vivo capillaries remains one of the foremost challenges within tissue engineering, as cells must reside within 200-300 μm of vasculature for long-term survival. In our previous work, we used a sacrificial microfibre technique whereby Pluronic® F127 fibres were embedded and then sacrificed within a collagen matrix, leaving behind a patent channel, which was subsequently seeded with endothelial and smooth muscle cells, forming a neointima and neomedia.