3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Despite recent advances in extrusion bioprinting of cell-laden hydrogels, using naturally derived bioinks to biofabricate complex elastic tissues with both satisfying biological functionalities and superior mechanical properties is hitherto an unmet challenge. Here, we address this challenge with precisely designed biological tough hydrogel bioinks featuring a double-network structure. The tough hydrogels consisted of energy-dissipative dynamically crosslinked glycosaminoglycan hyaluronic acid (o-nitrobenzyl-grafted hyaluronic acid) and elastin through Schiff’s base reaction, and free-radically polymerized gelatin methacryloyl. The incorporation of elastin further improved the elasticity, stretchability (∼170% strain), and toughness (∼45 kJ m−3) of the hydrogels due to the random coiling structure. We used this novel…

The three-dimensional (3D)-printing processes reach increasing recognition as important fabrication techniques to meet the growing demands in tissue engineering. However, it is imperative to fabricate 3D tissue units, which contain cells that have the property to be regeneratively active. In most bio-inks, a metabolic energy-providing component is missing. Here a formulation of a bio-ink is described, which is enriched with polyphosphate (polyP), a metabolic energy providing physiological polymer. The bio-ink composed of a scaffold (N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan), a hydrogel (alginate) and a cell adhesion matrix (gelatin) as well as polyP substantially increases the viability and the migration propensity of mesenchymal stem…

Here we describe the formulation of a morphogenetically active bio-ink consisting of amorphous microparticles (MP) prepared from Ca2+ and the physiological inorganic polymer, polyphosphate (polyP). Those MP had been fortified by mixing with poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) to allow 3D-bioprinting. The resulting granular PCL/Ca-polyP-MP hybrid material, liquefied by short-time heating to 100 °C, was used for the 3D-printing of tissue-like scaffolds formed by strands with a thickness of 400 µm and a stacked architecture leaving ≈0.5 mm2-sized open holes enabling cell migration. The printed composite scaffold turned out to combine suitable biomechanical properties (Young’s modulus of 1.60 ± 0.1 GPa; Martens hardness of 153 ± 28 MPa), matching those of cortical…

Biomimetic materials have been gaining increasing importance in tissue engineering since they may provide regenerative alternatives to the use of autologous tissues for transplantation. In the present study, we applied for bioprinting of a functionalized three-dimensional template, N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan (N,O-CMC), mimicking the physiological extracellular matrix. This polymer, widely used in tissue engineering, has been provided with functional activity by integration of polyphosphate (polyP), an osteogenically acting natural polymer. The two polymers, N,O-CMC and polyP, are linked together via Ca2+ bridges. This N,O-CMC + polyP material was proven to be printable and durable. The N,O-CMC + polyP printed layers and tissue…

Sodium alginate hydrogel, stabilized with gelatin, is a suitable, biologically inert matrix that can be used for encapsulating and 3D bioprinting of bone-related SaOS-2 cells. However, the cells, embedded in this matrix, remain in a non-proliferating state. Here we show that addition of an overlay onto the bioprinted alginate/gelatine/SaOS-2 cell scaffold, consisting of agarose and the calcium salt of polyphosphate [polyP·Ca2+-complex], resulted in a marked increase in cell proliferation. In the presence of 100 μm polyP·Ca2+-complex, the cells proliferate with a generation time of approximately 47–55 h. In addition, the hardness of the alginate/gelatin hydrogel substantially increases in the presence…