Computational fluid dynamic analysis of bioprinted self-supporting perfused tissue models

Area of Science:

• Tissue Engineering
• Biomaterials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Natural tissues rely on vasculature for nutrient and oxygen delivery to support cell metabolism.
• Developing scaffold-free biofabricated tissues requires mimicking in vivo perfusion for clinical applications.
• Existing biofabrication methods need to integrate perfusable structures for engineered tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a generalizable biofabrication method for self-supporting perfused (SSuPer) tissue constructs.
• To integrate SSuPer tissues with a modular perfusion bioreactor (FABRICA) for in vitro studies.
• To utilize computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to optimize SSuPer tissue design and perfusion parameters.

Main Methods:

• Generated a novel biofabrication method for scaffold-free SSuPer tissue constructs.
• Integrated SSuPer tissues with the FABRICA perfusion bioreactor for proof-of-concept studies.
• Developed and applied CFD modeling to analyze flow characteristics within SSuPer tissue microchannels.

Main Results:

• The SSuPer tissue successfully replicated in situ vascularization and perfusion.
• The engineered tissue demonstrated self-support and mineral deposition (Von Kossa staining).
• CFD analysis identified optimal microchannel patterns, flow directions, and flow rates for efficient perfusion and oxygenation.

Conclusions:

• The SSuPer tissue platform enables direct perfusion and provides suitable culture conditions for engineered tissues.
• The biofabrication approach is suitable for creating tissue constructs that mimic primary tissues.
• In silico modeling using CFD is crucial for guiding future tissue engineering designs and perfusion strategies.