Dual 3D printing for vascularized bone tissue regeneration

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Vascularization is critical for tissue construct viability in regenerative medicine.
• 3D printing of vascularized bone faces challenges in achieving nanoscale precision and biomimicry.
• Bone defects significantly impact aging populations, driving demand for advanced bone regeneration strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a biomimetic nano-bone tissue construct with a perfusable, endothelialized vessel channel.
• To overcome limitations in nanoscale geometrical precision and complexity in vascularized bone fabrication.
• To create a functional vascular network within a 3D printed bone scaffold for enhanced tissue development.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a combination of stereolithography (SLA) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing.
• Created a perfusable vessel channel using a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sacrificial template printed with FDM.
• Co-cultured human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) within the scaffold.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated a biomimetic nano-bone tissue construct with an endothelialized, perfusable vessel channel.
• Observed osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs and angiogenesis from the endothelialized channel.
• Demonstrated enhanced vascular network formation and osteogenic maturation in a custom bioreactor with co-culture for 20 days.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D printing approach enables the creation of complex, vascularized bone tissue constructs.
• The combination of SLA, FDM, and co-culture in a bioreactor promotes biomimetic bone tissue development.
• This technology holds promise for future applications in bone regenerative medicine.