Uniting 4D Printing and Melt Electrowriting for the Enhancement of Regenerative Small Diameter Vascular Grafts.

ABSTRACT: The development of mechanically robust, cell-instructive, and seweable small-diameter (≤ Ø 6 mm) tubular scaffolds remain a major challenge in vascular tissue engineering. Here, a hybrid biofabrication strategy is presented that combines 4D printing of alginate-methylcellulose (AlgMC) hydrogels with melt electrowritten (MEW) poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) reinforcement to produce tubular constructs with programmable shape-morphing capacity. The MEW fiber meshes significantly improve mechanical integrity, enabling suturing and perfusion, while preserving the anisotropic swelling behavior required for morphogenesis. Scaffold functionalization using human blood-derived protein coatings - such as fresh frozen plasma, platelet lysate, and fibrinogen - markedly enhances cellular adhesion and fibrobl

SUBMITTER: von Witzleben M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12645082 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature