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Leveraging Blood Components for 3D Printing Applications Through Programmable Ink Engineering Approaches
Rita Sobreiro-Almeida1, Sara C Santos1, Monize C Decarli2
1Department of Chemistry, CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|October 25, 2024
Summary
This study engineered tunable inks from low-viscosity blood materials for 3D printing. The method enhances protein inks for robust, bioactive scaffolds, enabling precision medicine applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Low-viscosity blood-derived materials like platelet lysates (PL) and albumins (BSA) are highly bioactive but challenging to 3D print due to poor viscoelastic properties.
- Developing printable bioinks is crucial for creating complex tissue scaffolds and advancing precision medicine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a tunable ink engineering methodology for 3D printing processability of low-viscosity, bioactive blood-derived materials.
- To enhance the viscoelasticity and shear-thinning behavior of protein solutions for improved 3D printing.
- To create mechanically robust and bioactive scaffolds for potential use in regenerative medicine and precision medicine.
Main Methods:
- Covalent coupling of amine groups on PL and BSA with carboxyl groups on methacrylated proteins (hPLMA and BSAMA) using carbodiimide chemistry.
- Creation of a pre-gel with tunable viscosity and elasticity by controlling the reaction.
- 3D printing of multilayered constructs followed by photocrosslinking.
- Evaluation of shape fidelity, mechanical properties, protein release, and bioactivity with human adipose-derived stem cells.
Main Results:
- Successfully engineered printable inks from low-viscosity protein solutions (≈ 1 Pa) with controlled rheological properties.
- 3D-printed constructs exhibited excellent shape fidelity, reaching clinically relevant sizes (>2 cm).
- Photocrosslinked scaffolds demonstrated mechanical robustness, sustained protein release, and enhanced human adipose-derived stem cell viability and metabolic activity.
Conclusions:
- The developed ink engineering methodology enables the 3D printing of previously unprintable, highly bioactive blood-derived materials.
- This approach facilitates the creation of mechanically stable and cell-responsive scaffolds for tissue engineering.
- The methodology offers a promising platform for utilizing patient-specific blood components in precision medicine and regenerative therapies.
