Vanderbilt University mechanical engineer Leon Bellan is working to create artificial human capillary blood vessels using cotton candy and gelatin.
His goal is for researchers to use these man-made capillaries to help keep artificial organs and other tissues alive, which could dramatically impact the field of regenerative medicine.
Vascular toolbox
Bellan’s lab is hoping these artificial capillaries will be a part of what he calls a “vascular toolbox” to help researchers sustain multiple types of human tissue.
“If you want to build thick tissue you need this vascular network, this sort of internal plumbing to help keep the cells embedded within alive,” said Bellan. “This vascularization issue is a hurdle for lots of areas of tissue engineering, so we feel our research can have far-reaching benefits.”