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Jammed Micro-Flake Hydrogel for Four-Dimensional Living Cell Bioprinting
Aixiang Ding1, Oju Jeon1, David Cleveland1
1Richard and Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|January 22, 2022
Summary
A novel single-component jammed micro-flake hydrogel (MFH) bioink enables advanced 4D bioprinting. This versatile material allows for the creation of complex, cell-laden bioconstructs with high viability for tissue engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- 4D bioprinting requires advanced bioinks for creating complex cell-laden constructs.
- Existing bioinks often lack easy preparation, defined composition, or controlled physical properties.
- Development of novel bioinks is crucial for advancing tissue and organ regeneration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a new single-component jammed micro-flake hydrogel (MFH) as a versatile bioink for 4D bioprinting.
- To characterize the physical properties and printability of the MFH system.
- To demonstrate the potential of the MFH for creating complex bioconstructs and tissue formation.
Main Methods:
- Development of a single-component jammed micro-flake hydrogel (MFH) with heterogeneous size distribution.
- Characterization of MFH properties including shear-thinning, shear-yielding, and self-healing.
- 3D printing of cell-laden MFH into stable bioconstructs, followed by photo-crosslinking.
- Incorporation of photoinitiator and UV absorber for gradient cross-linking and shape morphing.
- Demonstration of 4D cartilage-like tissue formation as a proof-of-concept.
Main Results:
- The developed MFH system exhibits scalable production and straightforward composition.
- MFH demonstrates excellent printability, forming stable 3D bioconstructs with high cell viability.
- Incorporation of photoinitiator and UV absorber enabled gradient cross-linking and shape morphing.
- Complex bioconstructs with well-defined configurations were successfully fabricated.
- 4D cartilage-like tissue formation was achieved, showcasing the system's potential.
Conclusions:
- The single-component jammed MFH system is a promising new bioink for 4D bioprinting.
- This versatile bioink facilitates the creation of complex, functional bioconstructs with controlled shape morphing.
- The MFH system holds significant potential for various applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
