Regenerative medicine holds the promise of engineering functional tissues or organs to heal or replace abnormal and necrotic tissues/organs, offering hope for filling the gap between organ shortage and transplantation needs. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is evolving into an unparalleled bio-manufacturing technology due to its high-integration potential for patient-specific designs, precise and rapid manufacturing capabilities with high resolution, and unprecedented versatility. It enables precise control over multiple compositions, spatial distributions, and architectural accuracy/complexity, therefore achieving effective recapitulation of microstructure, architecture, mechanical properties, and biological functions of target tissues and organs. Here we provide an overview of recent advances in 3D bioprinting technology, as well as design concepts of bioinks suitable for the bioprinting process. We focus on the applications of this technology for engineering living organs, focusing more specifically on vasculature, neural networks, the heart and liver. We conclude with current challenges and the technical perspective for further development of 3D organ bioprinting.

Photocurable, biocompatible liquid resins are highly desired for 3D stereolithography based bioprinting. Here we solidified a novel renewable soybean oil epoxidized acrylate, using a 3D laser printing technique, into smart and highly biocompatible scaffolds capable of supporting growth of multipotent human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Porous scaffolds were readily fabricated by simply adjusting the printer infill density; superficial structures of the polymerized soybean oil epoxidized acrylate were significantly affected by laser frequency and printing speed. Shape memory tests confirmed that the scaffold fixed a temporary shape at −18 °C and fully recovered its original shape at human body temperature (37 °C), which indicated the great potential for 4D printing applications. Cytotoxicity analysis proved that the printed scaffolds had significant higher hMSC adhesion and proliferation than traditional polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), and had no statistical difference from poly lactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL). This research is believed to significantly advance the development of biomedical scaffolds with renewable plant oils and advanced 3D fabrication techniques.

Metastasis is one of the deadliest consequences of breast cancer, with bone being one of the primary sites of occurrence. Insufficient 3D biomimetic models currently exist to replicate this process in vitro. In this study, we developed a biomimetic bone matrix using 3D bioprinting technology to investigate the interaction between breast cancer (BrCa) cells and bone stromal cells (fetal osteoblasts and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)). A tabletop stereolithography 3D bioprinter was employed to fabricate a series of bone matrices consisting of osteoblasts or MSCs encapsulated in gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogel with nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (nHA). When BrCa cells were introduced into the stromal cell-laden bioprinted matrices, we found that the growth of BrCa cells was enhanced by the presence of osteoblasts or MSCs, whereas the proliferation of the osteoblasts or MSCs was inhibited by the BrCa cells. The BrCa cells co-cultured with MSCs or osteoblasts presented increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion in comparison to that of monocultured BrCa cells. Additionally, the alkaline phosphatase activity of MSCs or osteoblasts was reduced after BrCa cell co-culture. These results demonstrate that the 3D bioprinted matrix, with BrCa cells and bone stromal cells, provides a suitable model with which to study the interactive effects of cells in the context of an artificial bone microenvironment and thus may serve as a valuable tool for the investigation of postmetastatic breast cancer progression in bone.

Four dimensional (4D) printing is an emerging technology with great capacity for fabricating complex, stimuli-responsive 3D structures, providing great potential for tissue and organ engineering applications. Although the 4D concept was first highlighted in 2013, extensive research has rapidly developed, along with more-in-depth understanding and assertions regarding the definition of 4D. In this review, we begin by establishing the criteria of 4D printing, followed by an extensive summary of state-of-the-art technological advances in the field. Both transformation-preprogrammed 4D printing and 4D printing of shape memory polymers are intensively surveyed. Afterwards we will explore and discuss the applications of 4D printing in tissue and organ regeneration, such as developing synthetic tissues and implantable scaffolds, as well as future perspectives and conclusions.

A biphasic artificial vascularized bone construct with regional bioactive factors is presented using dual 3D bioprinting platform technique, thereby forming a large functional bone grafts with organized vascular networks. Biocompatible mussel‐inspired chemistry and “thiol‐ene” click reaction are used to regionally immobilize bioactive factors during construct fabrication for modulating or improving cellular events.