Three-Dimensional Printing and Bioprinting Strategies for Cardiovascular Constructs: From Printing Inks to...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering
• Biomaterials Science
• Bioprinting Technologies

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) printing has enabled acellular scaffolds and patient-specific cardiovascular models.
• 3D bioprinting allows controlled deposition of cells and biomaterials for in vitro tissue construction.
• Bioinks, from natural or synthetic sources, mimic extracellular environments with tunable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advancements in bioinks and 3D printing/bioprinting for cardiovascular tissue engineering.
• To highlight the capabilities of various bioprinting modalities in fabricating cardiac and vascular constructs.
• To discuss the integration of bioinks and bioprinting platforms for enhanced functional tissue development.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on bioinks and 3D printing/bioprinting techniques.
• Analysis of different bioprinting modalities (e.g., extrusion, inkjet, DLP, TPP, MEW).
• Evaluation of bioink formulations for biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and printing fidelity.

Main Results:

• 3D printing facilitates scaffold and model creation; 3D bioprinting enables functional tissue fabrication.
• Various bioinks (collagen, PEG, PCL) support cell viability and structural integrity.
• Advanced bioprinting modalities create complex structures like vascular networks and ventricle pumps.
• Strengths and limitations of different techniques (e.g., FRESH, MEW, TPP) were identified.

Conclusions:

• Optimized bioink formulations and bioprinting platforms significantly improve the replication of native cardiovascular architectures.
• This integration advances the functional maturation of engineered cardiovascular constructs.
• Bioprinting holds transformative potential for creating functional cardiac tissues in vitro.