The article “3D Microvascularized Tissue Models by Laser-Based Cavitation Molding of Collagen” was published in Advanced Materials on January 14th.
A long-standing question in tissue engineering is how to vascularize tissue models. This study made a breakthrough with a technology that can enable much more physiological vascularization. The article reports a novel patterning approach for collagen hydrogels, referred to as “cavitation molding”, to create 3D cavities that can be used as a template to form the microvasculature. This method enables the fabrication of relevant models to study complex tissue, such as tumors and neural tissue.