3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Background: Given the limitations of traditional therapies, the treatment of infected bone defects (IBD) remains a great challenge. It is urgent to find a novel method that can simultaneously eradicate infection and promote new bone formation. With the increasing application of personalized scaffolds in orthopedics, novel biomaterials with both antibacterial and osteoinductive properties have provided a viable option for IBD treatment. Through the three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, we fabricated a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA)/nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) composite scaffold grafted with the antibiotic vancomycin and loaded with the osteoinductive agent recombinant human bone morphogenic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) via polydopamine (DOPA) chemistry, whose therapeutic effects on…

Limbal epithelial stem cells (LSCs) are essential for corneal epithelium regeneration and visual acuity. The limbal niche’s physicochemical properties regulate LSC function, but their role is not fully understood. Developing in vitro models that mimic the native niche can enhance our understanding of niche functions, despite the challenges of niche complexity. In this study, we created a 3D bioprinted limbal niche model using a hybrid approach that combines two human pluripotent stem cell-derived LSC (hPSC-LSC) subpopulations (p63+ and ABCG2+ cells) within hyaluronic acid (HA)-based bioinks and a stiff polyacrylamide (PA) gel scaffold produced by conventional gel casting. We analyzed the…

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has evolved to incorporate controlled delivery systems to guide the regeneration of complex tissues, with limited clinical translation. The challenges include the limited precision in spatiotemporal delivery and poorly understood in vivo scaffold degradation rates. Here, we report auspicious preclinical outcomes in the functional regeneration of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discs of mini-pigs. TMJ disc has been an extremely challenging target for regenerative engineering given the uniquely heterogeneous matrix distribution and region-variant anisotropic orientation. We optimally implemented advanced 3D printing technologies with micro-precise spatiotemporal delivery to build anatomically correct, bioactive scaffolds with native-like regionally variant microstructure and mechanical…

Myocardial infarction can cause irreversible damage to the heart muscle, which can lead to heart failure. The difficulty of the treatment mainly arises from the anisotropic behavior of the myocardium fibrous structure. Patches or cardiac restraint devices appear to be a promising approach to post-infarction treatment. In this study, we propose a new model-assisted method to design patterned membranes. The proposed approach combines computer experiments and statistical models to optimize the design parameters and to meet the requirement for the post-infarction treatment. Finite element model, global sensitivity analysis, random forest model and response surface model are the key components of…

Cerebral organoids (cORGs) obtained from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have become significant instruments for investigating human neurophysiology, with the possibility of simulating diseases and enhancing drug discovery. The current approaches require a strict process of manual inclusion in animal-derived matrix Matrigel® and are challenged by unpredictability, operators’ skill and expertise, elevated costs, and restricted scalability, impeding their extensive applicability and translational potential. In this study, we present a novel method to generate brain organoids that address these limitations. Our approach does not require a manual, operator-dependent embedding. Instead, it employs a chemically defined hydrogel in which the Matrigel® is…

Hierarchical porous silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics were fabricated by combining particle-stabilized emulsions and three-dimensional (3D) printing. Direct ink writing (DIW) was used as the 3D printing technique. The formulation for successful printing is discussed in relation to the rheology of the emulsions. The SiC emulsions were able to be printed with a lower storage modulus (G′) and apparent yield shear stress (τy) than previously reported SiC ink pastes. The printed and sintered porous SiC ceramics possess a total porosity of 73.7% with an average pore size within the filaments of 2.2 µm in diameter. A hierarchical pore structure that contains pore…

Complex shapes are created from Yb14MnSb11, a high-temperature thermoelectric Zintl phase, via a two-step process: i) layer-by-layer 3D-extrusion of ink containing partially-reacted powders which are ball-milled from a blend of Yb, MnSb, and Sb powders; ii) heat treatment to synthesize the ternary compound Yb14MnSb11 and densify the extruded powders. A high phase purity for Yb14MnSb11 (83–94%) is achieved in both cast and 3D-extruded ink specimens via a solid-state reaction between Yb, MnSb, and Yb4Sb3 during reactive sintering. Pressure-free sintering at temperatures of 1200–1400 °C densifies the powders to 82% relative density but can also induce the decomposition of the Yb14MnSb11 phase…

The development of bioink formulations with suitable properties is fundamental for the progress of 3D bioprinting. The potential of cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer, in this realm has often been underestimated, relegating it essentially to a reinforcement additive of bioinks. In this work, cell-laden bioink formulations, composed exclusively of cellulose, viz., “all-cellulose bioinks”, were developed by combining carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) in different mass proportions (90/10, 80/20, and 70/30%). The incorporation of NFC increases the printability of the inks (from Pr = 0.7 to 0.9) while maintaining their shear-thinning behavior, and increasing contents of NFC also decrease…

This study investigates the additive manufacturing of 3D porous scaffolds based on walstromite-type silicate ceramics for bone tissue engineering applications. Walstromite powders were synthesized using the sol-gel method and printed using extrusion-based 3D printing. Both sintered and unsintered scaffolds were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses to evaluate the effects of sintering on microstructure, porosity, and mechanical properties. Results indicate that the unsintered scaffolds exhibited significantly higher compressive strength due to the presence of organic binders, whereas the sintered scaffolds demonstrated enhanced porosity, facilitating cell…

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a ubiquitous thermoplastic used in textiles and packaging, is one of the primary contributors to plastic pollution. While PET is also one of the most recycled plastics, it has value as a rich source of chemical building blocks. When PET is depolymerized by amino alcohols (“alkanolamines”) such as monoethanolamine (MEA), terephthalamide-diol molecules are produced. In the presence of thionyl chloride (SOCl2), these diols are amenable to transformation to the corresponding dichloride monomers, which can then be polymerized via condensation methods (i.e., Menshutkin reaction) with bisimidazole compounds followed by ion-exchange to yield polyamide (PA)-ionenes with tailored structures. The…