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Updated: Sep 13, 2025
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Bioprinting Cellularized Constructs Using a Tissue-specific Hydrogel Bioink
Published on: April 21, 2016
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Bioink design for organ-scale projection-based 3D bioprinting
Tianhong Qiao1,2,3, Chaofan He1,2,3, Pengcheng Xia4
1State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems and Liangzhu Laboratory, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Nature Protocols
|July 30, 2025
Summary
This study presents a novel bioprinting method for creating large-scale, bioactive tissue structures. The technique enhances bioink stability and cell viability, overcoming key challenges in organ printing.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Tissue Engineering
- Bioprinting
Background:
- Projection-based 3D bioprinting enables complex, bioactive tissue manufacturing for applications like organoids and implants.
- Extended printing times for organ-scale bioprinting remain a significant challenge, limiting practical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a detailed protocol for manufacturing organ-scale bioprinted structures with preserved bioactivity and high cell viability.
- To address limitations in bioink stability and heterogeneity for extended printing durations.
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of Ficoll 400 to homogenize bioink refractive index and density.
- Use of 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride and oil-sealing for enhanced bioink component stability.
- Calibration of bioink pH value to ensure high cell viability during printing.
Main Results:
- Successful printing of 10 mm × 10 mm × 10 mm corpora cavernosa structures with 10 million cells/mL.
- Achieved 82.5% cell viability after 7 days of culture, demonstrating high bioactivity preservation.
- Total bioink preparation and printing time is 5 hours, followed by 7 days of culture.
Conclusions:
- The developed protocol enables efficient, large-scale bioprinting of complex tissue structures with high cell viability.
- This method overcomes critical challenges in bioink stability and printing time, advancing tissue engineering applications.
- The generalizable approach shows significant potential for creating implantable organs and drug-testing platforms.
