Real-time optical imaging is a promising approach for visualizing in vivo hemodynamics and vascular structure in mice with experimentally induced peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We report the application of a novel fluorescence-based all-optical imaging approach in the near-infrared IIb (NIR-IIb, 1500–1700 nm emission) window, for imaging hindlimb microvasculature and blood perfusion in a mouse model of PAD. In phantom studies, lead sulfide/cadmium sulfide (PbS/CdS) quantum dots showed better retention of image clarity, in comparison with single-walled nanotube (SWNT) NIR-IIa (1000–1400nm) dye, at varying depths of penetration. When systemically injected to mice, PbS/CdS demonstrated improved clarity of the vasculature, compared to SWNTs, as well as higher spatial resolution than in vivo microscopic computed tomography. In a mouse model of PAD, NIR-IIb imaging of the ischemic hindlimb vasculature showed significant improvement in blood perfusion over the course of 10 days (P<0.05), as well as a significant increase in microvascular density over the first 7 days after induction of PAD. In conclusion, NIR-IIb imaging of PbS/CdS vascular contrast agent is a useful multi-functional imaging approach for high spatial resolution imaging of the microvasculature and quantification of blood perfusion recovery.

Although skeletal muscle is highly regenerative following injury or disease, endogenous self-regeneration is severely impaired in conditions of volume traumatic muscle loss. Consequently, tissue engineering approach is a promising approach to regenerate skeletal muscle. Biological scaffolds serve as not only structural support for the promotion of cellular ingrowth, but they also impart potent modulatory signaling cues that may be beneficial for tissue regeneration. In this work, the progress of tissue engineering approaches for skeletal muscle engineering and regeneration is overviewed, with a focus on the techniques to create biomimetic engineered tissue using extracellular cues. These factors include mechanical and electrical stimulation, geometric patterning, and delivery of growth factors or other bioactive molecules. We further describe the progress of evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of these approaches in preclinical models of muscle injury.

Although tissue engineering using human-induced pluripotent stem cells is a promising approach for treatment of cardiovascular diseases, some limiting factors include the survival, electrical integration, maturity, scalability, and immune response of three-dimensional (3D) engineered tissues. Here we discuss these important roadblocks facing the tissue engineering field and suggest potential approaches to overcome these challenges.