Transparent and Cell-Guiding Cellulose Nanofiber 3D Printing Bioinks

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing advanced bioinks is crucial for 3D bioprinting complex tissue constructs.
• Existing bioinks often lack integrated cell-instructive properties for precise tissue guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a scalable method for creating nanofiber 3D printing inks with tissue-guiding capabilities.
• To engineer anisotropic muscle tissues using novel cellulose-based bioinks.

Main Methods:

• Tailoring cellulose fibril size and dispersibility via partial carboxymethylation.
• Generating negatively charged cellulose nanofibers (∼250 nm diameter) that mimic natural collagen fiber dimensions.
• Formulating composite inks with carbohydrates and extracellular matrix proteins for 3D printing cell-laden constructs.

Main Results:

• Achieved shear-thinning properties and optical transparency in cellulose nanofiber inks.
• Demonstrated successful 3D printing of cell-laden, cross-linkable structures and tissue-guiding gel substrates.
• Showcased shear-induced alignment of fibers to program spatial organization of engineered human and murine myotubes into anisotropic architectures.

Conclusions:

• Nanofibrillated cellulose inks offer a scalable and versatile tool for 3D bioprinting.
• These inks enable the engineering of anisotropic muscle tissues that replicate native structure and function.
• The developed bioinks possess integrated cell-instructive properties for advanced tissue fabrication.