3D Bioplotter Research Papers

The heart is a vital organ that can be subject to serious pathologies such as myocardial infarction, which can cause irreversible damages to the cardiac muscle, potentially leading to heart failure. A good understanding of this organ and its mechanisms of operation is essential for its treatment. This knowledge has led to the development of numerical simulation models of the heart, providing new insights into approaches to develop treatments for cardiac pathologies. A promising approach for the treatment of myocardial infarction and the prevention of serious complications involves the use of cardiac patches or epicardial restraint devices. The difficulty of…

Collagen type I, a fundamental component of natural extracellular matrices across species, is an attractive material for the development of tissue engineering constructs. Nevertheless, the poor mechanical properties and thermal instability hinder its use for specific construction of 3D cultures and 3D printing. In this study, we present a microfluidic high-throughput approach for producing high-quality and uniform collagen microbeads without introducing any chemical modification. We achieved rapid and uniform collagen droplet fabrication with sizes spanning from 50 µm to 1200 µm in a production rate of up to 10000 droplets per minute. The resulting collagen microbeads can serve as numerous…

Polymer blends containing up to 70% organosolv lignin content and lyotropic cellulose derivatives have been established as “lignin inks” for direct ink writing of fully biobased 3D parts. However, a fast-crosslinking mechanism is needed to improve throughput and design space. In this paper, UV-photocrosslinkable organosolv lignin/hydroxypropyl cellulose inks are formulated through doping with common photocrosslinkers. The most potent photocrosslinkers for neat hydroxypropyl cellulose, lignin and their blends are determined through a series of DOEs. Hydroxypropyl cellulose is significantly more amenable to photocrosslinking than organosolv lignin. The optimal photocrosslinkable ink formulations are printable and exhibit up to 70% gel content, although…

Introduction: Rotator cuff tear (RCT) is a common shoulder injury impacting mobility and quality of life, while traditional surgeries often result in poor healing. Tissue engineering offers a promising solution, with poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) being favored due to its slow degradation, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity. However, PCL lacks sufficient compression resistance. Incorporating Mg, which promotes bone growth and has antibacterial effects, could enhance RCT repair. Methods: The Mg-incorporated PCL-based scaffolds were fabricated using a 3D printing technique. The scaffolds were incorporated with different percentages of Mg (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%). The osteogenic activities and anti-inflammatory properties of the scaffolds…

Reconstructing the orbit following complex craniofacial fractures presents significant challenges. Throughout the years, several materials have been used for orbital reconstruction, taking into account factors such as their durability, compatibility with living tissue, cost efficiency, safety, and capacity to be adjusted during surgery. Nevertheless, a consensus has not yet been reached on the optimal material for orbital restoration. This study investigates the potential of a hybrid hydroxyapatite-collagen (HAp-COL) material 3D-printed on Ti mesh to be used as an implant for orbital wall reconstruction. HAp-COL powder was synthesized using a high-pressure hydrothermal technique. The powder was further used to 3D-print HAp-COL…

Periodontal regeneration requires the re-attachment of oblique and perpendicular periodontal ligament (PDL) fibres to newly formed cementum and alveolar bone, which has proven elusive with existing approaches. In this study, multiple fibre-guiding biphasic tissue engineered constructs were fabricated by melt electrowriting. The biphasic scaffolds were 95 % porous and consisted of a pore size gradient bone compartment and periodontal compartment made of fibre-guiding channels with micro-architectural features ranging from 100 to 60 µm aimed to direct PDL fibre alignment and attachment. In vitro evaluations over 3 and 7 days demonstrated a marked improvement in collagen fibre orientation (over 60 %…

Treatment of articular cartilage remains a great challenge due to its limited self-repair capability. In tissue engineering, a scaffold with both mechanical strength and regenerative capacity has been highly desired. This study developed a double-network scaffold based on natural biomaterials of silk fibroin (SF) and methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MAHA) using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. Structural and mechanical characteristics of the scaffold was first investigated. To enhance its ability of recruiting endogenous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), the scaffold was conjugated with a proven BMSC-specific-affinity peptide E7, and its biocompatibility and capacity of cell recruitment were assessed in vitro. Animal…

Peripheral nerve and large-scale muscle injuries result in significant disability, necessitating the development of biomaterials that can restore functional deficits by promoting tissue regrowth in an electroactive environment. Among these materials, graphene is favored for its high conductivity, but its low bioactivity requires enhancement through biomimetic components. In this study, we extrusion printed graphene-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (graphene) lattice scaffolds, aiming to increase bioactivity by incorporating decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) derived from mouse pup skeletal muscle. We first evaluated these scaffolds using human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived motor neurons co-cultured with supportive glia, observing significant improvements in axon outgrowth. Next, we tested the…

The core/shell 3D printing process using CPC and alginate is intended to create biodegradable scaffolds that have a similar stability to bone tissue and also offer sufficient and continuous antibiotic release. In this way, a patient-specific and patient-friendly process will be established, which should optimally support the human organism in its regeneration. To generate the best possible strength values, the printed scaffolds underwent various post-treatments and were then tested in a material test. The test methods included self-setting, storage in a drying cabinet with a water-saturated atmosphere at 37°C, followed by incubation in PBS, freeze-drying, and coating the samples with…

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting offers an automated, customizable solution to manufacture highly detailed 3D tissue constructs and holds great promise for regenerative medicine to solve the severe global shortage of donor tissues and organs. However, uni-material 3D bioprinting is not sufficient for manufacturing heterogenous 3D constructs with native-like microstructures and thus, innovative multi-material solutions are required. Here, we developed a novel multi-material 3D bioprinting strategy for bioprinting human corneal stroma. The human cornea is the transparent outer layer of your eye, and vision loss due to corneal blindness has serious effects on the quality of life of individuals. One of the…