Engineering neurovascular thrombosis: Light-based bioprinting for patient-specific modeling and women’s cerebrovascular health

Abstract

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and carotid web (CW) are distinct cerebrovascular disorders where vascular geometry, disturbed hemodynamics, and endothelial activation interact to drive thrombosis. Both conditions disproportionately affect women, yet remain understudied because of the inability of traditional platforms to replicate complex three-dimensional lumen profiles. This perspective positions light-based lithography as a powerful biofabrication strategy for patient-specific modeling. Digital light processing and volumetric bioprinting render enclosed, perfusable hydrogel networks with high-fidelity surface topography. When integrated into dynamic vessel-on-chip perfusion loops guided by clinical imaging and computational fluid dynamics, these platforms simulate pathological flow stasis and recirculation zones, heterogeneous shear-stress gradients, and site-specific cellular aggregation. This biofabrication approach enables personalized disease modeling and translationally relevant risk assessment, providing a critical platform for advancing women’s cerebrovascular health.