Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42194346›Full record

ArticleBioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)2026

An IoT-Enabled Modular 3D Bioreactor for Vascular Tissue Engineering: Design, Fabrication, and Biological Validation.

Belma Nalbant, Ahmet Ozkurt, Taner Akkan, Tufan Egeli, Thomas Pufe, Zeynep Yuce, Tarkan Unek

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Belma NalbantDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2288-6979
Ahmet OzkurtDepartment of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca, 35360 Izmir, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0001-6404-7244
Taner AkkanDepartment of Electronics and Automation, Izmir Vocational School, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca, 35390 Izmir, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0003-4352-7841
Tufan EgeliDepartment of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Balcova, 35330 Izmir, Turkey.
Thomas PufeDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-7886-9211
Zeynep YuceDepartment of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Balcova, 35330 Izmir, Turkey.
Tarkan UnekDepartment of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Balcova, 35330 Izmir, Turkey.

Funding

Dokuz Eylül University 2021.KB.SAG.054Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey 123S160
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) bioreactor systems are essential for vascular tissue engineering as they provide controlled environments that better mimic physiological conditions compared to static culture systems. In this study, an IoT-enabled modular rotating 3D bioreactor platform was designed, fabricated using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), and biologically validated. The system integrates a Wi-Fi-supported ESP8266 controller and a touchscreen human-machine interface (HMI), enabling real-time monitoring and remote operation. Agarose-chitosan-based tubular hydrogel constructs were seeded with human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) and cultured under dynamic conditions for 14 days. Biocompatibility was assessed using a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, while cellular distribution and mitochondrial activity were evaluated by confocal microscopy using DAPI and MitoTracker staining. Fluorescence intensity was further quantified using ImageJ, and 3D surface plots were generated to visualize spatial signal distribution. The results demonstrated sustained cell viability with decreasing cytotoxicity over time. Confocal analysis confirmed a homogeneous distribution of cells within the hydrogel matrix, and quantitative fluorescence analysis showed significantly higher MitoTracker intensity compared to DAPI, indicating increased metabolic activity under dynamic conditions. These findings suggest that the developed bioreactor provides a stable, controllable, and effective platform for vascular tissue engineering applications.

Indexed as

3D cell cultureagarose hydrogelbioreactorconfocal microscopydynamic cultureHASMCImageJ analysisIoTLDH assayvascular tissue engineering

Identifiers

PMID42194346
PMCPMC13203735

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.