ABSTRACT
Tissue engineering has been described as a revolutionary approach for reconstruction, transplantation, regeneration, or repair of organs and tissues. Typically, biomaterials, cells, and growth factors are integrated as a system in tissue engineering. However, there are only a handful of engineered tissues that have been successfully used in clinical practice. Without vascular networks that transport blood, oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic wastes, it is difficult to support the survival, proliferation, and function of the seeded cells. Therefore, vascularization is critical for engineering functional organs or tissues. Great efforts have been made by researchers to achieve vascularization through tailoring the biomaterials. In this chapter, we focus on natural and synthetic biomaterials for vascularization in tissue engineering, as well as the fabrication technologies of these biomaterials. This chapter also serves to highlight the physicochemical, mechanical, and biological design of biomaterials to promote vascularization. Furthermore, the current limitations and challenges are explored.
