Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 8, 2025
08:34
Bioprinting Cellularized Constructs Using a Tissue-specific Hydrogel Bioink
Published on: April 21, 2016
17.2K
Recapitulating macro-scale tissue self-organization through organoid bioprinting
Jonathan A Brassard1, Mike Nikolaev1, Tania Hübscher1
1Laboratory of Stem Cell Bioengineering, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Nature Materials
|September 22, 2020
Summary
This study introduces a novel 3D bioprinting method using organoid-forming stem cells to create centimeter-scale tissues. This approach enables precise control over tissue self-organization for applications in drug discovery and regenerative medicine.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Current 3D bioprinting struggles to replicate native tissue complexity.
- Cellular self-organization is key to forming intricate tissue micro-architecture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a 3D bioprinting strategy merging biofabrication and organoid technology.
- To achieve control over tissue self-organization at the centimeter scale.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing organoid-forming stem cells as building blocks deposited into extracellular matrices.
- Controlling printed geometry and cellular density to guide self-organization.
- Incorporating supporting cells and sequential printing of different epithelial cells.
Main Results:
- Generated centimeter-scale tissues with self-organized lumens, vasculature, and intestinal epithelia.
- Successfully mimicked in vivo-like crypts and villus domains.
- Demonstrated modulation of morphogenesis and organ boundaries through cell deposition.
Conclusions:
- Biofabrication and organoid technology can be merged to control tissue self-organization.
- This approach offers new possibilities for drug discovery, diagnostics, and regenerative medicine.
