Fiber-shaped artificial tissue with microvascular networks for bottom-up tissue reconstruction

Abstract

This paper describes a fiber-shaped microscale tissue with blood vessel networks. We co-cultured Hep-G2 (Human hepatic epithelial cell line) and HUVEC (human umbilical endothelial cell) in a collagen/alginate core-shell hydrogel microfiber fabricated by using a microfluidic device. We observed difference in construction of blood vessel networks in the hepatic tissue by varying in the ratio of co-cultured cells and the diameter of the core. In addition, by arranging the fiber-shaped tissues to construct macroscale tissue assembly, we confirmed the connection of blood vessel networks between the assembled fiber-shaped tissues.