3D Bioplotter Research Papers
Meniscal fibrocartilage regeneration inspired by meniscal maturational and regenerative process
Meniscus is a complex and crucial fibrocartilaginous tissue within the knee joint. Meniscal regeneration remains to be a scientific and translational challenge. We clarified that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) participated in meniscal maturation and regeneration using MSC-tracing transgenic mice model. Here, inspired by meniscal natural maturational and regenerative process, we developed an effective and translational strategy to facilitate meniscal regeneration by three-dimensionally printing biomimetic meniscal scaffold combining autologous synovium transplant, which contained abundant intrinsic MSCs. We verified that this facilitated anisotropic meniscus–like tissue regeneration and protected cartilage from degeneration in large animal model. Mechanistically, the biomechanics and matrix stiffness up-regulated…
Microengineered perfusable 3D-bioprinted glioblastoma model for in vivo mimicry of tumor microenvironment
Many drugs show promising results in laboratory research but eventually fail clinical trials. We hypothesize that one main reason for this translational gap is that current cancer models are inadequate. Most models lack the tumor-stroma interactions, which are essential for proper representation of cancer complexed biology. Therefore, we recapitulated the tumor heterogenic microenvironment by creating fibrin glioblastoma bioink consisting of patient-derived glioblastoma cells, astrocytes, and microglia. In addition, perfusable blood vessels were created using a sacrificial bioink coated with brain pericytes and endothelial cells. We observed similar growth curves, drug response, and genetic signature of glioblastoma cells grown in our…
3D printing of multilayered scaffolds for rotator cuff tendon regeneration
Repairing massive rotator cuff tendon defects remains a challenge due to the high retear rate after surgical intervention. 3D printing has emerged as a promising technique that enables the fabrication of engineered tissues with heterogeneous structures and mechanical properties, as well as controllable microenvironments for tendon regeneration. In this study, we developed a new strategy for rotator cuff tendon repair by combining a 3D printed scaffold of polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) with cell-laden collagen-fibrin hydrogels. We designed and fabricated two types of scaffolds: one featuring a separate layer-by-layer structure and another with a tri-layered structure as a whole. Uniaxial tensile tests…
A 3D Bioprinted Pseudo-Bone Drug Delivery Scaffold for Bone Tissue Engineering
A 3D bioprinted pseudo-bone drug delivery scaffold was fabricated to display matrix strength, matrix resilience, as well as porous morphology of healthy human bone. Computer-aided design (CAD) software was employed for developing the 3D bioprinted scaffold. Further optimization of the scaffold was undertaken using MATLAB® software and artificial neural networks (ANN). Polymers employed for formulating the 3D scaffold comprised of polypropylene fumarate (PPF), free radical polymerized polyethylene glycol- polycaprolactone (PEG-PCL-PEG), and pluronic (PF127). Simvastatin was incorporated into the 3D bioprinted scaffolds to further promote bone healing and repair properties. The 3D bioprinted scaffold was characterized for its chemical, morphological, mechanical,…
Directing the growth and alignment of biliary epithelium within extracellular matrix hydrogels
Three-dimensional (3D) printing of decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) hydrogels is a promising technique for regenerative engineering. 3D-printing enables the reproducible and precise patterning of multiple cells and biomaterials in 3D, while dECM has high organ-specific bioactivity. However, dECM hydrogels often display poor printability on their own and necessitate additives or support materials to enable true 3D structures. In this study, we used a sacrificial material, 3D-printed Pluronic F-127, to serve as a platform into which dECM hydrogel can be incorporated to create specifically designed structures made entirely up of dECM. The effects of 3D dECM are studied in the context…
3D Micropatterned all Flexible Microfluidic Platform for Microwave Assisted Flow Organic Synthesis (MAFOS)
In present work, we fabricate large area, all flexible and microwaveable PDMS microfluidic reactor that is printed via 3D bioplotter system. The sacrificial microchannels are printed on Polydimethoxylane (PDMS) substrates by direct ink writing method using water soluble Pluronic F-127 ink and encapsulated between PDMS layers. The structure of micrometer sized channels is analyzed by optical and electron microscopy techniques. The fabricated flexible microfluidic reactors are utilized for acetylation of different amines under microwave irradiation to get acetylamides in shorter reaction time and good yields in Microwave Assisted Flow Organic Synthesis (MAFOS).
Preparation of 3-D scaffolds in the SiO2–P2O5 system with tailored hierarchical meso-macroporosity
Herein we report for the first time the synthesis of three-dimensional scaffolds in the binary system SiO2–P2O5 exhibiting different scales of porosity: (i) highly ordered mesopores with diameters of ca. 4 nm; (ii) macropores with diameters in the 30–80 μm range with interconnections of ca. 2–4 and 8–9 μm; and (iii) ultra-large macropores of ca. 400 μm. The hierarchical porosity of the resulting scaffolds makes them suitable for bone tissue engineering applications. The chemical nature and mesoporosity of these matrices would allow these scaffolds to act as local controlled delivery systems of biologically active molecules, such as certain drugs to…