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Updated: May 12, 2025
Bioprinting of Cartilage and Skin Tissue Analogs Utilizing a Novel Passive Mixing Unit Technique for Bioink Precellularization
Published on: January 3, 2018
Bioprinting 3D lattice-structured lumens using polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) combined with self-assembling
Vishalakshi Irukuvarjula1, Faye Fouladgar1, Robert Powell1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, United States.
Abstract:
There is a pressing need for new cell-laden, printable bioinks to mimic stiffer tissues such as cartilage, fibrotic tissue and bone. PEGDA monomers are bioinks that crosslink with light to form a viscoelastic solid, however, they lack cell adhesion properties. Here, we utilized a hybrid bioink by combining self-assembled peptide nanofibers with PEGDA for 3D printing lumens. Adult human dermal fibroblast (aHDF) cells were first seeded in peptide-laden in 2D and 3D layers and cell behavior were studied. The cell's morphology remained spheres when they were infused in the 3D hydrogel and highly aligned with 2D overlay hydrogels. HDF cells did not adhere to unmodified PEGDA lumens, however, they successfully attached and proliferated on PEGDA/peptide lumens. Moreover, HDF cells seeded on the hybrid PEGDA/peptide lumens displayed a distinct spread F-actin morphology. The results showcase the potential of peptide hydrogels in facilitating interaction of anchorage dependent cells with PEGDA structures.
