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Microfluidic Bioprinting for Engineering Vascularized Tissues and Organoids
Published on: August 11, 2017
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High cell density and high-resolution 3D bioprinting for fabricating vascularized tissues
Shangting You1, Yi Xiang1, Henry H Hwang1
1Department of NanoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Science Advances
|February 22, 2023
Summary
Researchers improved 3D bioprinting resolution for high cell density (HCD) bioinks by adding iodixanol, reducing light scattering. This breakthrough enables fabrication of complex, viable engineered tissues with fine vascular networks.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is crucial for fabricating engineered tissues.
- Existing methods struggle to achieve high cell density (HCD), viability, and fine resolution simultaneously.
- Digital light processing (DLP)-based bioprinting resolution decreases with increasing bioink cell density due to light scattering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel strategy to overcome light scattering issues in DLP-based 3D bioprinting.
- To improve fabrication resolution for bioinks with high cell densities.
- To demonstrate the potential for creating complex, viable engineered tissues.
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of iodixanol into bioinks to reduce light scattering.
- Utilizing digital light processing (DLP)-based 3D bioprinting.
- Fabrication of high cell density (HCD) thick tissues with vascular networks.
- Assessment of tissue viability and vascularization in a perfusion culture system.
Main Results:
- Iodixanol addition reduced light scattering by 10-fold.
- Achieved a 50-micrometer fabrication resolution for bioinks with 0.1 billion cells/mL.
- Successfully fabricated HCD thick tissues with intricate vascular networks.
- Demonstrated tissue viability, endothelialization, and angiogenesis after 14 days in perfusion culture.
Conclusions:
- Iodixanol is an effective additive for enhancing resolution in DLP-based 3D bioprinting of high cell density bioinks.
- This approach significantly improves fabrication capabilities for complex tissue engineering.
- The developed method holds promise for creating functional, vascularized engineered tissues and organs.
