Vascular Development and Morphogenesis in Biomaterials
There are a vast number of materials that have been used to promote vascular development in vitro, in growth, and anastomosis in vivo, as well as to differentiate stem cells into vascular cells for blood vessel regeneration. Some of these materials have been useful to study several aspects of the vascular morphogenesis process, defining distinct steps of cell spreading, branching, vacuole formation, coalescence, and lumen formation. The developmental information gained from these studies has come hand in hand with the advancement of biomaterials for therapeutic purposes, with demonstrated progress toward biocompatible, biodegradable, bioadhesive, mechanically sound, nonimmunogenic scaffolds that support and enhance vascular network formation.
