Bioprinting for Human Respiratory and Gastrointestinal In Vitro Models

Increasing ethical and biological concerns require a paradigm shift toward animal-free testing strategies for drug testing and hazard assessments. To this end, the application of bioprinting technology in the field of biomedicine is driving a rapid progress in tissue engineering. In particular, standardized and reproducible in vitro models produced by three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technique represent a possible alternative to animal models, enabling in vitro studies relevant to in vivo conditions. The innovative approach of 3D bioprinting allows a spatially controlled deposition of cells and biomaterial in a layer-by-layer fashion providing a platform for engineering reproducible models. However, despite the promising and revolutionizing character of 3D bioprinting technology, standardized protocols providing detailed instructions are lacking. Here, we provide a protocol for the automatized printing of simple alveolar, bronchial, and intestine epithelial cell layers as the basis for more complex respiratory and gastrointestinal tissue models. Such systems will be useful for high-throughput toxicity screening and drug efficacy evaluation.