Fish scale containing alginate dialdehyde-gelatin bioink for bone tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Bioprinting

Background:

• Biomaterial inks mimicking the extracellular matrix are crucial for bioprinting in tissue engineering.
• Animal-derived proteins like fish scale (FS) gelatin (GEL) enhance hydrogel bioactivity.
• Structurally intact FS may improve hydrogel biocompatibility, bioactivity, and mechanical strength due to collagen and hydroxyapatite content.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of using structurally intact fish scales (FS) as an additive in alginate dialdehyde-gelatin (ADA-GEL) biomaterial inks.
• To evaluate the impact of FS incorporation on the physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties of 3D bioprinted hydrogels for bone tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a composite biomaterial ink using FS and ADA-GEL.
• 3D bioprinting of cell-laden hydrogels with mouse pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells.
• Evaluation of ink properties, hydrogel mechanical strength, cell viability, and osteogenic differentiation.

Main Results:

• Increased FS content significantly enhanced hydrogel compressive strength and allowed tuning of stiffness.
• Homogeneous incorporation of FS particles was confirmed, with good particle-matrix integration.
• FS incorporation boosted osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells, evidenced by increased ALP activity and osteocalcin secretion.

Conclusions:

• The ADA-GEL/FS composite biomaterial ink demonstrates significant potential for 3D bioprinting applications.
• Fish scales (FS) serve as a valuable natural source of collagen and hydroxyapatite, enhancing biomaterial ink properties for bone tissue engineering.
• FS is a promising additive for developing advanced biomaterials for bone regeneration.