[Biofabrication: new approaches for tissue regeneration]

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Classical tissue engineering (TE) combined matrices, cells, and growth factors for tissue repair.
• Early TE faced challenges with vascularization, hindering clinical application.
• Biofabrication, utilizing 3D printing, aims to spatially incorporate cells and biomaterials for directed tissue maturation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evolution of tissue engineering into biofabrication.
• To explore the principles and technologies of 3D bioprinting.
• To highlight the advantages of bioprinting for creating complex tissue constructs.

Main Methods:

• Literature research of biofabrication and bioprinting using PubMed.
• Selection and evaluation of relevant publications.
• Secondary analysis of specific bioprinting techniques.

Main Results:

• Identified key principles in bioprinting technology, including high-throughput cell assembly and fabrication of hierarchical tissue constructs.
• Discovered five relevant bioprinting technologies: stereolithography, extrusion-based, laser-assisted, inkjet-based, and nano-bioprinting.
• Noted that different 3D printing methods impact cells and proteins variably, driving research into optimizing bioinks and printing technologies.

Conclusions:

• 3D bioprinting offers advantages over traditional TE by enabling spatially controlled assembly of cells, biomaterials, and biomolecules.
• Bioprinting can reproduce native tissue architectures for functional replacement tissues, organs, and advanced research models, such as studying tumor microenvironments.
• Overcoming current limitations in tissue generation requires interdisciplinary collaboration among engineers, biomaterial scientists, cell biologists, and surgeons.