Bone-derived dECM/alginate bioink for fabricating a 3D cell-laden mesh structure for bone tissue engineering.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Alginate hydrogels are widely used for 3D bioprinting due to their biocompatibility and rapid cross-linking.
• A key limitation of alginate is its low bioactivity, hindering cell function and tissue regeneration.
• Enhancing alginate's bioactivity is crucial for developing advanced biomaterials for tissue engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel bioactive alginate-based bioink.
• To improve the biological activity and osteogenic potential of 3D printed constructs.
• To investigate the efficacy of incorporating methacrylated decellularized extracellular matrix (Ma-dECM) from bone tissue.

Main Methods:

• Supplementation of alginate bioink with varying concentrations of bone-derived Ma-dECM.
• Optimization of processing conditions for bioink printability and cell viability.
• Fabrication of 3D cell-laden constructs using the developed bioink.
• Assessment of cell viability and osteogenic differentiation of encapsulated human adipose-derived stem cells.

Main Results:

• Optimized Ma-dECM concentration and processing conditions yielded good printability.
• The Ma-dECM supplemented bioink maintained high cell viability in 3D constructs.
• The modified hydrogel microenvironment significantly enhanced osteogenic differentiation of stem cells.

Conclusions:

• Methacrylated decellularized extracellular matrix from bone is a promising additive for alginate bioinks.
• This approach effectively enhances the bioactivity of 3D printed scaffolds.
• The developed bioactive alginate bioink shows potential for bone tissue engineering applications.