Bioprinted trachea constructs with patient-matched design, mechanical and biological properties

Tracheal stenosis is a rare but life-threatening disease. Primary clinical procedures for treating this disease are limited if the region requiring repair is long or complex. This study is the first of its kind to fabricate bioprinted tracheal constructs with separate cartilage and smooth muscle regions using polycaprolactone (PCL) and human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC)-laden hydrogels. Our final bioprinted trachea showed comparable elastic modulus and yield stress compared to native tracheal tissue. In addition, both cartilage and smooth muscle formation were observed in the desired regions of our bioprinted trachea through immunohistochemistry and western blot after two weeks of in vitro culture. This study demonstrates a novel approach to manufacture tissue engineered trachea with mechanical and biological properties similar to native trachea, which represents a step closer to overcoming the clinical challenges of treating tracheal stenosis.