3D Bioplotter Research Papers

To investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of calcified aortic valve disease (CAVD), it is necessary to develop a new three-dimensional model that contains valvular interstitial cells (VIC) and valvular endothelial cells (VEC). For this purpose, ovine aortic valves were processed to isolate VIC and VEC that were dissolved in an alginate/gelatin hydrogel. A 3D-bioprinter (3D-Bioplotter® Developer Series, EnvisionTec, Gladbeck, Germany) was used to print cell-laden tissue constructs containing VIC and VEC which were cultured for up to 21 days. The 3D-architecture, the composition of the culture medium, and the hydrogels were modified, and cell viability was assessed. The composition of the…

Aim Compare bone formation capacity in vivo of two types of biomaterials designed as bone substitutes with respect to iliac crest autograft, one based on carbonate hydroxyapatites and the other one on bioactive mesoporous glass. Materials and methods Experimental study consisting on 14 adult female New Zeland rabbits where a critical defect was made in the rabbit radius bone. The sample was divided into four groups: defect without material, with iliac crest autograft, with carbonatehydroxyapatite support, and with bioactive mesoporous glass support. Serial X-ray studies were carried out at 2, 4, 6 and 12 weeks and a microCT study at…

Cartilage damage is difficult to heal and poses a serious problem to human health as it can lead to osteoarthritis. In this work, we explore the application of biological 3D printing to manufacture new cartilage scaffolds to promote cartilage regeneration. The hydrogel made by mixing sodium alginate (SA) and gelatin (GA) has high biocompatibility, but its mechanical properties are poor. The addition of hydroxyapatite (HA) can enhance its mechanical properties. In this paper, the preparation scheme of the SA-GA-HA composite hydrogel cartilage scaffold was explored, the scaffolds prepared with different concentrations were compared, and better formulations were obtained for printing…

Blood vessels play an important role in bone growth and fracture healing by providing nutrients and oxygen. Although great progress has been made in bone graft materials with good biological and physicochemical properties, vascularization of these materials remains an urgent challenge for bone regeneration. Herein, we report a novel 3D-printed mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) scaffold (ICA/TMP@MBG) incorporating two unique extracts from Chinese medicine, namely tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) and icariin (ICA), for enhanced vascularization and bone repair. In vitro results showed that ICA/TMP@MBG could significantly upregulate VEGF secretion, thereby facilitating the formation of angiogenesis tubes in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).…

Biofabrication is crucial in contemporary tissue engineering. The primary challenge in biofabrication lies in achieving simultaneous replication of both external organ geometries and internal structures. Particularly for organs with high oxygen demand, the incorporation of a vascular network, which is usually intricate, is crucial to enhance tissue viability, which is still a difficulty in current biofabrication technology. In this study, we address this problem by introducing an innovative three-dimensional (3D) printing strategy using a thermo-reversible supporting bath which can be easily removed by decreasing the temperature. This technology is capable of printing hydrated materials with diverse crosslinked mechanisms, encompassing gelatin,…

In recent years, extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is employed for engineering cardiac patches (CP) due to its ability to assemble complex structures from hydrogel-based bioinks. However, the cell viability in such CPs is low due to shear forces applied on the cells in the bioink, inducing cellular apoptosis. Herein, we investigated whether the incorporation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the bioink, engineered to continually deliver the cell survival factor miR-199a-3p would increase the viability within the CP. EVs from THP-1-derived activated macrophages (MΦ) were isolated and characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), and Western blot analysis.…

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) are a new class of ionic conductive compounds attracting significant attention as greener alternatives to costly ionic liquids. Herein, we developed novel mixed ionic-electronic conducting materials by simple mixing of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and various DES as additives. The DES addition induces the supramolecular assembly and gelification of PEDOT:PSS forming eutectogels triggered by extensive hydrogen bonding and charge stabilization. The eutectogels feature boosts the mixed ionic-electronic conductivity of PEDOT:PSS up to 368 S cm−1, unveiling great potential as flexible bioelectronics. All the PEDOT:PSS/DES gels showed shear-thinning behavior and viscosity values ranging from 100 to 1000 Pa s.…

PCL polymers have been widely used in 3D printing of scaffolds over the past few decades, which can be applied in a variety of medical devices. However, PCL has intrinsic defects, such as high hydrophilicity which causes low biocompatibility. The research reported in this thesis aims to modify existing PCL polymers by developing a series of PEG-PCL block copolymers with different ratios of blocks and investigate their potential as implants for soft tissue engineering and airway reconstruction. The introduction of PEG blocks to PCL enhanced biocompatibility towards mammalian cells compared to the commercially available PCL with same molecular weight, without…

Hyaluronic acid (HyA) hydrogels are promising in various biomedical applications such as tissue regeneration, drug delivery, cell therapy, and biosensing. Three-dimensional printing (3D printing) can precisely control the structures and properties of the HyA hydrogels, which is highly desirable for many biomedical applications. However, the crosslinking and 3D printing of HyA hydrogels usually require chemical modifications. This may raise toxicity concerns on the hydrogels, especially when regulatory approval is required for the clinical translation of the final products. This dissertation investigated the mechanisms of dynamic coordination and the relationships among the key parameters in controlling the tunable crosslinking, reversible phase…

Energy has been one of the hottest topic in the last two decades and therefore the energy storage devices have attracted significant attention. Na ion battery is considered as an alternative to Li ion battery for next generation energy storage devices. β/β’’ alumina solid electrolyte (BASE) for solid-state Na ion battery has been widely investigated since last century, however the fabrication of BASE with complex 3D-structure is still unfulfilled. In this project water-based BASE ink formulations were developed for material extrusion additive manufacturing technique. The fabrication of BASE with complex 3D-structure was achieved which massively extended the potential of BASE…