Spatiotemporal control of growth factors in three-dimensional printed scaffolds

Abstract

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) has enabled the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds that recapitulate the physical, architectural, and biochemical cues of native tissue matrix more effectively than ever before. One key component of biomimetic scaffold fabrication is the patterning of growth factors, whose spatial distribution and temporal release profile should ideally match that seen in native tissue development. Tissue engineers have made significant progress in improving the degree of spatiotemporal control over which growth factors are presented within 3DP scaffolds. However, significant limitations remain in terms in pattern resolution, the fabrication of true gradients, temporal control of growth factor release, the maintenance of growth factor distributions against diffusion, and more. This review summarizes several key areas for advancement of the field in terms of improving spatiotemporal control over growth factor presentation, and additionally highlights several major tissues of interest that have been targeted by 3DP growth factor patterning strategies.

Click functionalized, tissue‐specific hydrogels for osteochondral tissue engineering

“…Thus, it is essential to present multiple tissue-specific cues for the induction of distinct chondrogenic and osteogenic tissue development. Furthermore, traditional methods of providing bone-or cartilage-specific biochemical cues such as microparticle-based delivery are prone to loss of spatial localization due to ease of diffusion and resulting off-target effects (Bittner, Guo, & Mikos, 2018). Furthermore, traditional methods of providing bone-or cartilage-specific biochemical cues such as microparticle-based delivery are prone to loss of spatial localization due to ease of diffusion and resulting off-target effects (Bittner, Guo, & Mikos, 2018).…”

3D Printed Multiplexed Competitive Migration Assays with Spatially Programmable Release Sources

“…[54] The use of a biofabrication approach here, 3D printing, as opposed to traditional microfabrication processes has further implications in on-chip multiplexing, which can offer improved throughput and measurement confidence, rapid protoyping, and interface with bioprinted tissues, an additional challenge that has been identified in the 3D-bioprinting literature. [55] As shown in Figure S9 of Supporting Information, we demonstrate that it is possible to easily alter the spatial distribution of the chemoattractant release sources and increase the number of potential competitive chemoattractants. We also show that the approach can potentially be used to study chemotaxis in bioprinted tissue constructs using one-pot fabrication approach.…”

Advanced Bottom‐Up Engineering of Living Architectures

“…As aforementioned, it is well established that the orchestrated presentation of different bioinstructive cues (e.g., growth factors, cytokines, mechanical, magnetic/electric, etc. ), either via their spatiotemporally controlled presentation or in the form of biochemical gradients, is also essential for providing a close‐to native microenvironment and further potentiating engineered microtissue maturation in vitro . In this sense, besides functioning as building blocks for cellular aggregation and microtissues maturation, microparticles have also been employed as delivery systems for controlled release of bioactive molecules in bottom‐up cell–biomaterial assemblies.…”