Innovative Algorithm Enhances Vascular Design for 3D Bioprinted Hearts

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a groundbreaking algorithm that significantly accelerates the creation of detailed vascular networks essential for 3D bioprinted organs, especially hearts. This platform, published in the journal Science on June 12, 2025, enables the rapid design of complex blood vessel architectures that closely mimic natural human vasculature, overcoming previous limitations in scaling up tissue engineering. The algorithm runs approximately 200 times faster than traditional methods and can generate vascular models suited for intricate organ shapes, which can then be translated into printable instructions.

One of the core challenges in bioprinting functional organs is ensuring adequate blood flow throughout the tissue. By designing vascular trees that emulate native organ structures, the team aims to provide sufficient oxygen and nutrients to every cell, a vital aspect for tissue survival and growth. Their software, available as an open-source project called SimVascular, incorporates fluid dynamics simulations to produce realistic, collision-free blood vessel networks with a single inlet and outlet.

In their experiments, they successfully created a vascular model with over a million vessels that could supply cells positioned within 100 to 150 microns, a proximity vital for cell viability in thick tissue constructs. Although current 3D printing technology cannot yet produce such dense networks at the organ level, the team demonstrated a smaller vascular model with 500 branches, printed using live cells, and maintained the viability of embedded human kidney cells by pumping oxygen-rich fluids through the network.

These developments mark a pivotal step toward fabricating fully functional, transplantable organs. The researchers are now integrating these vascular designs with stem cell-derived organ tissues, moving closer to the goal of printing complete, patient-specific organs such as hearts. While challenges remain in generating fully physiological vessels with the necessary cellular components, this innovative approach opens new avenues for regenerative medicine and organ transplantation.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-algorithm-vascular-3d-hearts.html