Background
Vascularization is important for the clinical application of tissue engineered products. Both adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and surgical prefabrication can be used to induce angiogenesis in scaffolds. Our
Conclusion
ASC-seeded scaffolds with prefabrication showed significantly improved scaffold vasculogenesis and could be useful for application to tissue engineering products in the clinical settings.
Methods
For prefabrication, functional blood vessels were introduced into the scaffold using a flow-through pedicle system. ASCs were isolated from rat fat deposits. Three-dimensional-printed cylindrical poly-ε-caprolactone scaffolds were fabricated by fused deposition modelling. Three groups, each containing six rats, were investigated by using non-seeded, ASC-seeded, and osteogenic induced ASC-seeded scaffolds. In each group, one rat was implanted with two scaffolds in the inguinal region. On the right side, a scaffold was implanted subcutaneously around the inferior epigastric vessels (classic prefabrication group). On the left side, the inferior epigastric vessels were placed inside the prefabricated scaffold in the flow-through pedicle system (flow-through prefabrication group). The vessel density and vascular architecture were examined histopathologically and by μCT imaging, respectively, at 2 months after implantation.
Results
The mean vessel densities were 10- and 5-fold higher in the ASC-seeded and osteogenic induced ASC-seeded scaffolds with flow-through prefabrication, respectively, than in the non-seeded classic prefabricated group (p < 0.001). μCT imaging revealed functional vessels within the scaffold.