Three-Dimensional Artificial Skin Construct Bioprinted with a Marine-Based Biocomposite.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Artificial skin scaffolds are crucial for regenerating injured skin tissue.
• 3D-bioprinted constructs offer advanced solutions for skin repair.
• Decellularized extracellular matrices (dECM) are promising biomaterials for tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel composite biomaterial ink for artificial skin regeneration using fish-skin-derived dECM.
• To evaluate the biophysical properties and in vitro cellular activities of the new bioink.
• To compare the efficacy of the fish-skin-based bioink with control biomaterials for skin regeneration.

Main Methods:

• A composite biomaterial ink was created using decellularized extracellular matrices (dECM) from tilapia and cod fish skin.
• The dECM was methacrylated and photo-cross-linked using UV light.
• In vitro assessments included cytotoxicity, wound healing, angiogenesis, and analysis of cytokeratin 10 (CK10) and cytokeratin 14 (CK14) expression.

Main Results:

• The fish-skin-based biocomposite ink exhibited enhanced mechanical stability and bioactivity.
• It demonstrated significantly higher wound healing ability and angiogenesis compared to porcine-skin-based dECMMa and tilapia-skin-based dECMMa controls.
• Bioprinted constructs showed over 90% cell viability and more developed CK10 and CK14 expression, indicating improved epidermal and keratinocyte layer formation.

Conclusions:

• The developed fish-skin-based biocomposite construct is a highly promising biomaterial ink for skin regeneration.
• The synergistic effect of tilapia and cod skin dECM components contributes to superior cellular activities.
• This novel bioink holds potential for advancing artificial skin scaffold development in tissue engineering.