Coaxial Extrusion of Tubular Tissue Constructs Using a Gelatin/GelMA Blend Bioink

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels are widely used for tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility and ability to support cell growth.
• Fabricating complex hollow structures for tubular tissue constructs remains a challenge in biofabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple and efficient method for fabricating hollow microfibers using GelMA hydrogels.
• To assess the potential of these hollow GelMA structures for regenerative medicine and tissue modeling.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a modified microfluidic system with a coaxial nozzle for biofabrication.
• Employed soft templating with a polyvinyl alcohol core to create hollow structures.
• Combined reversible thermo-cross-linking with gelatin and irreversible photo-cross-linking via UV irradiation for structural stability.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated stable and continuous hollow microfibers using the developed GelMA-based approach.
• Demonstrated good proliferation of various cell types within the fabricated GelMA/Gel hollow microfibers through in vitro evaluations.
• The method allows for the creation of complex hollow architectures essential for tubular tissue constructs.

Conclusions:

• The presented microfluidic biofabrication technique offers an efficient way to produce GelMA-based hollow microfibers.
• These hollow structures exhibit excellent cytocompatibility and support cell proliferation, making them suitable for regenerative medicine.
• This approach holds significant potential for engineering tubular constructs for tissue regeneration and modeling applications.