Sheer thinning self-assembling hydrogels

INTRODUCTION: The layer-by-layer build up of three-dimensional (3D) tissues from twodimensional (2D) cell sheets is an exciting alternative to traditional methods of tissue and organ engineering. Traditionally, scaffolds are seeded with cells that infiltrate and replace the artificial structure with their own extracellular matrix (ECM), but layering of 2D sheets has many advantages over this method; cell layers can be interleaved with pre-formed vasculature, they are more easily micropatterned and do not contain scaffold materials which can release toxic or immunogenic substances.