Implantable 3D printed hydrogels with intrinsic channels for liver tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Developing functional tissue engineered constructs for hepatic support remains a significant challenge.
• Existing methods often struggle with vascularization and long-term cell viability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, fabricate, and evaluate a general 3D printing platform for tissue engineering applications, specifically demonstrating a liver model.
• To assess the in vitro and in vivo performance of 3D printed devices (3DPDs) for hepatic support.

Main Methods:

• Computer-aided design (CAD) optimization and digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing of devices using a polyethylene(glycol) diacrylate photoink.
• In vitro evaluation using hepatoma cells and primary rat hepatocytes in bioreactors, including coculture with endothelial and stem cells.
• In vivo assessment in a rat renal shunt model to evaluate hemocompatibility and cell viability.

Main Results:

• 3DPDs successfully supported hepatocyte viability and function in vitro, with enhanced liver-specific functions and cytochrome P450 activity.
• Coculture experiments demonstrated improved cell viability, broad liver-specific gene expression, and tissue architecture.
• In vivo implantation showed successful blood flow, no clot formation, and maintained cell viability, indicating potential for clinical translation.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D printing platform offers a versatile approach for creating functional tissue engineered devices.
• 3DPDs show significant promise for clinical applications in hepatic support and regenerative medicine.
• Scalability of 3D printed designs allows for larger devices with increased cell mass for enhanced therapeutic potential.