ECM Based Bioink for Tissue Mimetic 3D Bioprinting

Area of Science:

• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• 3D printing offers advanced fabrication for tissue replacements, mimicking human tissue microstructure and appearance.
• Developing printable bioinks is essential for stable 3D structure fabrication in tissue engineering.
• Extracellular matrix (ECM) provides vital cues for cell activity and tissue regeneration, driving interest in ECM-based biomaterials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current status and emerging trends in ECM-based biomaterials for bioink development.
• To outline bioink requirements for fabricating engineered tissues and organs.
• To present a method for measuring and modeling non-Newtonian rheological properties of bioinks.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on ECM-based biomaterials and bioink development.
• Description of bioink requirements for tissue engineering applications.
• Proposal of a method using rotational rheometers to measure non-Newtonian rheological properties.
• Discussion of mathematical modeling, including the power law model, for bioink characterization.

Main Results:

• Decellularized ECM (dECM) biomaterials are gaining popularity as bioinks due to their ability to retain native ECM cues.
• Rheological properties are critical for achieving high printing resolution and shape fidelity in 3D bioprinting.
• The proposed method allows for optimization of printing parameters and verification of bioink printability, particularly for shear-thinning bioinks.

Conclusions:

• ECM-based biomaterials, especially dECM, show great promise for developing advanced bioinks.
• Understanding and controlling bioink rheology is fundamental for successful 3D bioprinting of functional tissues.
• The presented rheological measurement and modeling approaches facilitate the selection and optimization of bioinks for tissue engineering.