Modular assembly of bioprinted perfusable blood vessel and tracheal epithelium for studying inflammatory respiratory diseases

Abstract In vitro organ models allow for the creation of precise preclinical models that mimic organ physiology. During a pandemic of a life-threatening acute respiratory disease, an improved trachea model (TM) is required. We fabricated a modular assembly of the blood vessel and TMs using 3D bioprinting technology. First, decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) were prepared using the porcine trachea and blood vessels. A trachea module was fabricated based on the tracheal mucosa-derived dECM and microporous membrane. Further, a blood vessel module was manufactured using the prepared vascular-tissue-derived dECM. By assembling each manufactured module, a perfusable vascularized TM simulating the interface between the tracheal epithelium and blood vessels was fabricated. This assembled model was manufactured with efficient performance, and it offered respiratory symptoms, such as inflammatory response and allergen-induced asthma exacerbation. These characteristics indicate the possibility of manufacturing a highly functional organ model that mimics a complex organ environment in the future.