From the journal:

Chemical Communications

Localized stiffness programming enables tunable spatial control of vascular density in 3D hydrogels

He Li, ORCID logo a   Fiona Louis, ORCID logo ab   Oju Jeon, ORCID logo c   Eben Alsberg ORCID logo cdefg  and  Michiya Matsusaki ORCID logo *ab  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Osaka, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
E-mail: m-matsus@chem.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp

b Joint Research Laboratory (TOPPAN) for Advanced Cell Regulatory Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Osaka, Suita, Osaka, Japan

c Departments of Biomedical Engineering University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA

d Mechanical & Industrial Engineering University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA

e Pharmacology & Regenerative Medicine and University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA

f Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA

g Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center (JBVMC), Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA

Abstract

We report an in situ light-mediated reinforcement strategy for spatial microvascular patterning. Laser-patterned stiff zones in AlgMA/fibrin hydrogels suppress capillary formation by >81%. A linear stiffness-density relationship (R2 > 0.78) enables predictable engineering of heterogeneous tissue architecture.

Graphical abstract: Localized stiffness programming enables tunable spatial control of vascular density in 3D hydrogels

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/D6CC02922A
Article type
Communication
Submitted
12 May 2026
Accepted
19 Jun 2026
First published
22 Jun 2026

Chem. Commun., 2026, Advance Article

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Localized stiffness programming enables tunable spatial control of vascular density in 3D hydrogels

H. Li, F. Louis, O. Jeon, E. Alsberg and M. Matsusaki, Chem. Commun., 2026, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D6CC02922A

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