Vascularization in Bone Tissue Engineering: Physiology, Current Strategies, Major Hurdles and Future Challenges

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 12 - 27
• Main Authors: Santos, Marina I., Reis, Rui L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 11.01.2010; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley-VCH
• Subjects: Angiogenesis Inducing Agents - metabolism; Application fields; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; biomaterials; bone; Bone and Bones - blood supply; Endothelial Cells - cytology; Endothelial Cells - metabolism; Exact sciences and technology; fracture repair; Humans; Medical sciences; Microcirculation - physiology; Neovascularization, Physiologic - physiology; Organ Culture Techniques - methods; Osteogenesis - physiology; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Technology of polymers; Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments; tissue engineering; Tissue Engineering - methods; vascularization; Angiogenesis; State of the art; Tissue engineering; Microsurgery; Polymer; Biomaterial; Physiology; Osseous tissue; Vascularization
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.200900107

The lack of a functional vascular supply has, to a large extent, hampered the whole range of clinical applications of ‘successful’ laboratory‐based bone tissue engineering strategies. To the present, grafts have been dependent on post‐implant vascularization, which jeopardizes graft integration and often leads to its failure. For this reason, the development of strategies that could effectively induce the establishment of a microcirculation in the engineered constructs has become a major goal for the tissue engineering research community. This review addresses the role and importance of the development of a vascular network in bone tissue engineering and provides an overview of the most up to date research efforts to develop such a network. The lack of a functional vasculature is recognized by the tissue engineering scientific community as the major hurdle for the clinical success of the field. Although this problem is common to most the engineered tissues there are differences inherent to the different physiologies and regenerative strategies. Therefore, this paper addresses the vascularization problem but specifically focuses on the context of bone tissue engineering.