biostudies-literatureWang HNIDCR NIH HHS261-275https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8965085biostudies-literatureUnknown17One of the pivotal factors that limit the clinical translation of tissue engineering is the inability to create large volume and complex three-dimensional (3D) tissues, mainly due to the lack of long-range mass transport with many current scaffolds. Here we present a simple yet robust sacrificial strategy to create hierarchical and perfusable microchannel networks within versatile scaffolds via the combination of embedded 3D printing (EB3DP), tunable polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC), and casting methods. The sacrificial templates of PEC filaments (diameter from 120 to 500 μm) with arbitrary 3D configurations were fabricated by EB3DP and then incorporated into various castable matrices (e.g., hydrogels, organic solutions, meltable polymers, etc.). Rapid dissolution of PEC templates within a Bioactive materialsFabrication of channeled scaffolds through polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) printed sacrificial templates for tissue formation.PMC8965085R01 DE029790Zhu MZhang XWang HZhou XWang JfalseFabrication of channeled scaffolds through polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) printed sacrificial templates for tissue formation.One of the pivotal factors that limit the clinical translation of tissue engineering is the inability to create large volume and complex three-dimensional (3D) tissues, mainly due to the lack of long-range mass transport with many current scaffolds. Here we present a simple yet robust sacrificial strategy to create hierarchical and perfusable microchannel networks within versatile scaffolds via the combination of embedded 3D printing (EB3DP), tunable polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC), and casting methods. The sacrificial templates of PEC filaments (diameter from 120 to 500 μm) with arbitrary 3D configurations were fabricated by EB3DP and then incorporated into various castable matrices (e.g., hydrogels, organic solutions, meltable polymers, etc.). Rapid dissolution of PEC templates within a 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Nov2025-04-19T20:11:26.61Z2025-04-19T20:11:26.61ZS-EPMC89650853538645510.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.01.030