Biomechanical and mechanobiological design for bioprinting functional microvasculature.

This article focuses on the integration of biomechanical and mechanobiological principles in the 3D bioprinting of functional microvascular networks for in vitro tissue engineering. It reviews the entire bioprinting process—pre-bioprinting design, intra-bioprinting fabrication, and post-bioprinting cultivation—emphasizing how mechanical properties of bioinks, printing parameters, and dynamic extracellular mechanical environments influence microvascular structure formation, endothelial cell behavior, and vascular maturation. The article discusses direct and indirect bioprinting strategies, various bioprinting techniques (e.g., coaxial, embedded, laser ablation, digital light processing), and the design of bioinks, sacrificial inks, and support baths with appropriate rheological and mechanical properties. It further highlights the critical role of fluid shear stress, matrix stiffness, viscoelasticity, and topography in regulating angiogenesis, morphogenesis, and stabilization of microvasculature. Finally, it outlines future directions including advanced computational modeling, machine learning, dynamic biomechanical control, high-resolution multiscale bioprinting, and the construction of organ-specific functional microvasculature.