A New Approach for Fabricating Collagen/ECM-Based Bioinks Using Preosteoblasts and Human Adipose Stem Cells

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Cell-printing enables fabricating 3D structures for tissue regeneration.
• Current bioinks, often alginate-based, exhibit limited cell-activating properties.
• A need exists for advanced bioinks that support cell function and differentiation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly bioactive bioink for 3D cell printing.
• To create a collagen/extracellular matrix (ECM) and alginate composite bioink.
• To assess the cell viability, osteogenic, and hepatogenic differentiation capabilities of the new bioink.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of 3D porous cell blocks using a novel collagen/ECM-alginate bioink.
• In vitro assessment of preosteoblasts and human adipose stem cells (hASCs) viability within the 3D structures.
• Evaluation of osteogenic activity and hepatogenic differentiation of hASCs using specific gene markers.

Main Results:

• The developed bioink demonstrated high cell viability for both preosteoblasts and hASCs.
• Significantly enhanced osteogenic activities were observed compared to conventional alginate bioinks.
• Successful activation of liver-specific genes (albumin, TDO2) indicated hepatogenic differentiation potential.

Conclusions:

• The collagen/ECM-alginate bioink is highly bioactive and supports cell viability.
• This novel bioink promotes both osteogenic and hepatogenic differentiation.
• The 3D cell-laden structures offer a versatile platform for diverse tissue engineering applications.