Engineering bioinks for 3D bioprinting

Abstract

In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has attracted wide research interest in biomedical engineering and clinical applications. This technology allows for unparalleled architecture control, adaptability and repeatability that can overcome the limits of conventional biofabrication techniques. Along with the emergence of a variety of 3D bioprinting methods, bioinks have also come a long way. From their first developments to support bioprinting requirements, they are now engineered to specific injury sites requirements to mimic native tissue characteristics and to support biofunctionality. Current strategies involve the use of bioinks loaded with cells and biomolecules of interest, without altering their functions, to deliver in situ the elements required to enhance healing/regeneration. The current research and trends in bioink development for 3D bioprinting purposes is overviewed herein.

Hydrogels in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: drug delivery systems and artificial matrices for dynamic in vitro models

“…Besides the use of hydrogels as ECM in dynamic in vitro models, the use of hydrogels as bioinks for bioprinting of in vitro models has shown a great potential for cartilage tissue engineering. The dynamic microenvironment of ECM is not totally mimic from the traditional static environment of the hydrogels and, 3D bioprinting allows adaptability, architecture control, and repeatability that can overcome the limits of traditional biofabrication systems [77]. The selection of biomaterials for the printing mostly depends on their biocompatibility with cell growth and function and also their printing characteristics, extrudability, post-printing stability, such as viscosity [78,79].…”

“…After revising several systematic reviews the most of the published works use a limited range of bioinks, including gelatin, collagen, alginate, modified copolymer PEG, hyaluronic acid, and photocurable acrylates/methacrylates to cartilage tissue engineering [78,80]. The development of these innovative bioinks gives to biomedical engineering community closer to expectations of fabricated structures of ideal properties able of replicating native tissues, while further improve regeneration and therapeutic handicaps [77].…”

Machine learning to explain printability induced by rheology additives

“…By introducing additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, particularly 3-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, to the field of tissue engineering (TE), a significant expansion in the scope and applicability of TE approaches was achieved. [1] The advancement of 3D bioprinting significantly depends on development in three critical frontiers, technological innovations, [2] the discovery of new functional biomaterials, [3] and deepening our understanding of regenerative biology. [4] While addressing all the requirements for a successful regenerative approach might seem out of reach for the moment, significant resources have been dedicated to approximating this process.…”

“…In this respect, engineering biomaterial inks and bioinks includes a relatively large portion of research in the field, exclusively exploring the enabling possibilities through introducing new synthetic and natural biomaterials and formulations. [3] Apart from meeting the strict biological requirements, the materials used in the 3D bioprinting approach, or in general terms, the 3D printing of soft biomaterials, need to fulfill some physical and mechanical criteria. The main class of materials used as the ink for this purpose includes hydrogels or polymer solutions.…”

“…[5] Despite the extent of these measures, the printability of a hydrogel ink or polymer solution is greatly influenced by its chemistry and mechanical properties. [3] Due to the biological requirements, many attempts were made to enable or enhance the printability of promising known bioactive hydrogels and polymer solutions that formerly lacked physical and mechanical needs. These mainly included chemical modifications or blendings with a secondary material that could induce printability.…”