Pre-set extrusion bioprinting for multiscale heterogeneous tissue structure fabrication

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Current three-dimensional bioprinting methods face limitations in creating native tissue-like structures.
• Fabricating heterogeneous, multicellular constructs remains a significant challenge in tissue engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced bioprinting technique for simultaneous fabrication of heterogeneous, multicellular, and multimaterial tissue-like structures.
• To overcome limitations of existing bioprinting technologies in replicating native tissue complexity.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of a novel pre-set extrusion bioprinting technique utilizing a precursor cartridge.
• Printing of multimaterial constructs with pre-defined configurations through a micro-nozzle.
• Fabrication of heterogeneous tissue models, including spinal cords, hepatic lobules, blood vessels, and capillaries.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of complex heterogeneous tissue-like structures using the new bioprinting system.
• Demonstration of a patterned hepatic lobule model embedding HepG2 and endothelial cells.
• The patterned model exhibited a more organized structure and higher CYP3A4 enzyme activity compared to homogeneous or heterogeneous cell printing.

Conclusions:

• The developed pre-set extrusion bioprinting method allows for simultaneous printing of heterogeneous, multicellular, and multimaterial constructs.
• This technique shows potential for fabricating functional artificial tissues and organs with improved structural organization and functionality.
• The method could be widely applicable in regenerative medicine and the development of complex biological models.